New Zealand 18 Year Old Double Wood / Wine Cask New Whisky

Freya Lindqvist — Complex sipper, needs patience

8/10

Don't just pour this and knock it back — let it breathe for a good ten minutes. The nose starts hot with that 57.2% ABV but settles into toffee, baked apple, and something almost like port. On the palate there's a nice interplay between the bourbon sweetness and the wine cask influence. I drink it neat with a splash of water and it rewards you every time.

Tomas Rivera — Complex sipper, needs patience

8/10

Don't just pour this and knock it back — let it breathe for a good ten minutes. The nose starts hot with that 57.2% ABV but settles into toffee, baked apple, and something almost like port. On the palate there's a nice interplay between the bourbon sweetness and the wine cask influence. I drink it neat with a splash of water and it rewards you every time.

Suki Patel — Complex sipper, needs patience

8/10

Don't just pour this and knock it back — let it breathe for a good ten minutes. The nose starts hot with that 57.2% ABV but settles into toffee, baked apple, and something almost like port. On the palate there's a nice interplay between the bourbon sweetness and the wine cask influence. I drink it neat with a splash of water and it rewards you every time.

Andre Dubois — Complex sipper, needs patience

8/10

Don't just pour this and knock it back — let it breathe for a good ten minutes. The nose starts hot with that 57.2% ABV but settles into toffee, baked apple, and something almost like port. On the palate there's a nice interplay between the bourbon sweetness and the wine cask influence. I drink it neat with a splash of water and it rewards you every time.

Mei-Lin Wu — Complex sipper, needs patience

8/10

Don't just pour this and knock it back — let it breathe for a good ten minutes. The nose starts hot with that 57.2% ABV but settles into toffee, baked apple, and something almost like port. On the palate there's a nice interplay between the bourbon sweetness and the wine cask influence. I drink it neat with a splash of water and it rewards you every time.

Priya Sharma — Stunning for the price

9/10

I grabbed this on a whim and it's genuinely one of the best NZ whiskies I've tried. The wine cask finish adds this gorgeous dried fruit and dark berry layer over the classic vanilla and oak you'd expect from 18 years in wood. At cask strength 57.2% it's got serious punch but a few drops of water opens it right up. Under a hundred quid for an 18-year-old at this quality is a steal.

Liam Anderson — Stunning for the price

9/10

I grabbed this on a whim and it's genuinely one of the best NZ whiskies I've tried. The wine cask finish adds this gorgeous dried fruit and dark berry layer over the classic vanilla and oak you'd expect from 18 years in wood. At cask strength 57.2% it's got serious punch but a few drops of water opens it right up. Under a hundred quid for an 18-year-old at this quality is a steal.

Olivia Park — Stunning for the price

9/10

I grabbed this on a whim and it's genuinely one of the best NZ whiskies I've tried. The wine cask finish adds this gorgeous dried fruit and dark berry layer over the classic vanilla and oak you'd expect from 18 years in wood. At cask strength 57.2% it's got serious punch but a few drops of water opens it right up. Under a hundred quid for an 18-year-old at this quality is a steal.

Thomas Weber — Wine cask works beautifully here

8/10

Picked this up after reading about the double wood process and the wine cask finish really delivers. There's a lovely sweetness — think raisins and cherry jam — balanced by baking spice and a dry oaky backbone from the age. It's hot neat at 57.2% so I usually add a teaspoon of water. At just under a hundred quid for a well-aged cask strength pour, I'm happy with the value.

Priscilla Nunes — Wine cask works beautifully here

8/10

Picked this up after reading about the double wood process and the wine cask finish really delivers. There's a lovely sweetness — think raisins and cherry jam — balanced by baking spice and a dry oaky backbone from the age. It's hot neat at 57.2% so I usually add a teaspoon of water. At just under a hundred quid for a well-aged cask strength pour, I'm happy with the value.

Henrik Larsen — Wine cask works beautifully here

8/10

Picked this up after reading about the double wood process and the wine cask finish really delivers. There's a lovely sweetness — think raisins and cherry jam — balanced by baking spice and a dry oaky backbone from the age. It's hot neat at 57.2% so I usually add a teaspoon of water. At just under a hundred quid for a well-aged cask strength pour, I'm happy with the value.

Dmitri Volkov — New Zealand punching above its weight

9/10

I keep telling people NZ whisky is the real deal and this bottle is my exhibit A. Eighteen years of age and bottled at natural strength — you can taste every year in the glass. Rich dried fruit, honey, toasted oak, and a finish that just goes on and on. I poured this for three mates who are diehard Scotch drinkers and they were all genuinely impressed.

Sophie Brennan — New Zealand punching above its weight

9/10

I keep telling people NZ whisky is the real deal and this bottle is my exhibit A. Eighteen years of age and bottled at natural strength — you can taste every year in the glass. Rich dried fruit, honey, toasted oak, and a finish that just goes on and on. I poured this for three mates who are diehard Scotch drinkers and they were all genuinely impressed.

Yuki Nakamura — New Zealand punching above its weight

9/10

I keep telling people NZ whisky is the real deal and this bottle is my exhibit A. Eighteen years of age and bottled at natural strength — you can taste every year in the glass. Rich dried fruit, honey, toasted oak, and a finish that just goes on and on. I poured this for three mates who are diehard Scotch drinkers and they were all genuinely impressed.

Daniel Torres — Stunning for the price

9/10

I grabbed this on a whim and it's genuinely one of the best NZ whiskies I've tried. The wine cask finish adds this gorgeous dried fruit and dark berry layer over the classic vanilla and oak you'd expect from 18 years in wood. At cask strength 57.2% it's got serious punch but a few drops of water opens it right up. Under a hundred quid for an 18-year-old at this quality is a steal.

Aria Kim — Stunning for the price

9/10

I grabbed this on a whim and it's genuinely one of the best NZ whiskies I've tried. The wine cask finish adds this gorgeous dried fruit and dark berry layer over the classic vanilla and oak you'd expect from 18 years in wood. At cask strength 57.2% it's got serious punch but a few drops of water opens it right up. Under a hundred quid for an 18-year-old at this quality is a steal.

Zoe Chen — Wine cask works beautifully here

8/10

Picked this up after reading about the double wood process and the wine cask finish really delivers. There's a lovely sweetness — think raisins and cherry jam — balanced by baking spice and a dry oaky backbone from the age. It's hot neat at 57.2% so I usually add a teaspoon of water. At just under a hundred quid for a well-aged cask strength pour, I'm happy with the value.

Marco Andretti — Wine cask works beautifully here

8/10

Picked this up after reading about the double wood process and the wine cask finish really delivers. There's a lovely sweetness — think raisins and cherry jam — balanced by baking spice and a dry oaky backbone from the age. It's hot neat at 57.2% so I usually add a teaspoon of water. At just under a hundred quid for a well-aged cask strength pour, I'm happy with the value.

Marcus Blackwell — New Zealand punching above its weight

9/10

I keep telling people NZ whisky is the real deal and this bottle is my exhibit A. Eighteen years of age and bottled at natural strength — you can taste every year in the glass. Rich dried fruit, honey, toasted oak, and a finish that just goes on and on. I poured this for three mates who are diehard Scotch drinkers and they were all genuinely impressed.

Lena Petrova — New Zealand punching above its weight

9/10

I keep telling people NZ whisky is the real deal and this bottle is my exhibit A. Eighteen years of age and bottled at natural strength — you can taste every year in the glass. Rich dried fruit, honey, toasted oak, and a finish that just goes on and on. I poured this for three mates who are diehard Scotch drinkers and they were all genuinely impressed.