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Cardrona
Founded
2015
Region
New Zealand
Status
Operational
Company
Production type
Single Malt
The Cardrona distillery is the most southerly single malt whisky distillery in the world, located within the valley after which it is named in New Zealand's south island. The idea for the distillery was hatched by Desiree Reid in 2011, who sold her dairy farming business two years later and began construction at Cardrona in 2015. The first spirit was produced in 23rd October that year, and the first casks set down on 5th November.
The distillery's single malt whisky is produced on pot stills designed and built by Forsyths in Scotland. It also makes vodka on a Jacob Carl column still, and gin on a combination of it and a specially-made 600-litre gin still.
The Cardrona single malt brand was introduced in 2018 with the launch of its first 3-year-old whisky. The brand is yet to be marketed with a permanent core range, and is instead offered as semi-regular single casks which serve as progress reports on the maturation of its fledgling casks.
The earliest releases, and youngest spirit, are labelled as Just Hatched, with older and older still versions labelled, Growing Wings and Full Flight, respectively.
2015-present
Cardrona Distillery
2125 Cardrona Valley Road
Wānaka 9382
New Zealand
Active brands
Single Malt
