fbpx

In 1997, the last whisky distillery in New Zealand was closed, and hundreds of barrels of cask-strength whisky were either auctioned off or mothballed. By 2010, we secured the last 80,000 litres of this historic whisky, stored in 443 barrels, from an old airplane hangar. These rare and exceptional drams now age gracefully in our towering seaside bonds store in Oamaru, preserving a slice of whisky history from what was once the world’s southernmost distillery.

Our mission has always been to reignite New Zealand’s whisky industry, and in 2020, we took a bold step forward. We built and installed a new distillery within the iconic Speight’s Brewery in Dunedin, marking the return of whisky distilling to the city. By February 2021, The Dunedin Distillery began producing its first beautiful new-make spirit, combining the best of traditional methods with modern innovation.

This milestone fulfils a long-held dream to bring whisky distilling back to its roots in Dunedin, ensuring that New Zealand whisky continues to flourish for generations to come.

The New Zealand Whisky Collection Barrel House.

The distillery was closed down in the late 90’s and the remaining barrels auctioned off or mothballed.

A Legacy Rooted in the South

Whisky distilling in New Zealand began with the arrival of Scottish settlers in the 1830s, particularly in Otago, where the industry thrived until government regulations effectively shut it down in the 1870s. By the 1950s, whisky distilling began to re-emerge, and in 1974, the Baker family opened the Willowbank Distillery in Dunedin.

Willowbank was renowned for producing iconic whiskies such as Wilsons, 45 South, and the single malt Lammerlaw. In the 1980s, the distillery came under the ownership of Seagrams of Canada, and production continued to thrive until 1997, when it was sold to Fosters. Unfortunately, Fosters mothballed operations, sending the stills to Fiji for rum production and leaving New Zealand without an operational whisky distillery – until now.

A palette of dramatic scenes, New Zealand’s South Island hosts the purest natural landscapes you’ll ever experience.

The Heart Behind the Craft: Cyril Yates

Cyril Yates committed over 20 years of his life to distilling in New Zealand. Pictured above as a young man in the Willowbank distillery, far right, and more recently outside the now closed distillery.

Cyril Yates is a vital figure in the history of New Zealand whisky, having dedicated over 20 years to distilling at Willowbank. Beginning as a teenager painting whisky barrels, Cyril rose to the role of distilling foreman, playing an instrumental role in crafting the whisky that put New Zealand on the map.

Following the closure of Willowbank, Cyril’s contributions to the industry were nearly forgotten, but his legacy remains a cornerstone of our story. In recognition of his work, our founder Greg Ramsay honoured Cyril with his first overseas adventure, a trip to New York, as a token of gratitude for his dedication. Cyril now continues to lend his expertise at The Dunedin Distillery, ensuring that the spirit of Willowbank lives on in every drop of our whisky.

Meet the team who brought a mothballed whisky to the world’s stage.

It all started in 2009 when Greg Ramsay, who had recently managed the development of Nant distillery in Bothwell, heard of these 443 barrels of mature-aged NZ whisky. After evaluating the stock, he knew he was onto something special and immediately brought together a group of investors to purchase the entire stock.

Greg called on two Tassie mates ready to revitalise the branding, forge new export channels and re-launch New Zealand whisky to the world. Production manager and designer Tom Holder reinvigorated the bottles with fresh, modern packaging. Meanwhile Benalla-boy Troy Trewin, relocated to Hobart after a long stint in Oamaru and sought channels that today see the whisky collection available across Canada, Australia, the UK, EU and the US.