SECURE THE FIRST MOONLIGHT CREEK WHISKY TO MARKET
Interested in a private cask or joining our ballot to secure a bottle of the Moonlight Creek – Pioneer, First Release - 700ml? Sign up and we will contact you with details.
World whiskies awards
While our Moonlight Creek Whisky rests in cask, it was exhilarating to learn that our New Make Spirit (the spirit that runs from the still and goes into cask for aging) and our Manuka Smoked single malt aging spirit, both won Gold and Best in Category at the prestigious @worldwhiskiesawards
Single Malt Whisky
Moonlight Creek Single Malt Whisky is crafted from grain to glass at our distillery in Reefton, West Coast, New Zealand.
Selecting only the finest barley grown and malted in New Zealand, this grain is milled, mashed and fermented on-site, before being double pot distilled in our handcrafted, copper stills. Our spirit cuts (the careful selection of the prime spirit for maturation) are sensory based and wholly reliant on the experience and mastery of the distiller, with only the finest spirit selected for cask.
Moonlight Creek Whisky is matured in ex-bourbon oak casks, which are specifically selected for the flavour and character they impart. Each aspect of this process influences the finished Moonlight Creek Whisky’s refined profile.
The result is a balanced whisky with a sweetness imparted by the malted barley and the size and shape of the copper stills in which it is crafted.
Distillery Manager, Gareth Morgan brings a wealth of whisky making expertise from his homeland of Scotland and many years managing distilleries. He leads our production team and oversees the cask management programme.
Our vision was to create a rounded mouth feel from the careful cutting of the spirit run, which allows a balanced amount of the various elements to be introduced. Rich colour and soft vanilla notes are introduced by the aged bourbon oak casks. Moonlight Creek Whisky is then carefully proofed to taste with pristine West Coast spring water. This careful process allows a hint of spiciness from the underlying alcohol to shine through on the aftertaste, rounding out the taste experience with a reassuringly warm glow.
Moonlight Creek Whisky - Private Cask
Moonlight Creek Single Malt Whisky was laid down in early 2022. The first release will be at a minimum of 3 years maturation with the Moonlight Creek – Pioneer, First Release - 700ml. The 200L casks will be released at a minimum of 6-7 years aged.
A private cask of Moonlight Creek Single Malt Whisky is the perfect accompaniment for a personal or family milestone. Perhaps gather a group of friends for enjoyment or investment and stake your claim on New Zealand’s new gold.
George Moonlight
George Fairweather Moonlight was a legendary gold prospector and discovered New Zealand’s largest gold nugget at the time, the Pessini Nugget, at what went on to become Moonlight Creek. With gold nuggets the size of potatoes, the area was soon crowded with fortune seekers.
George wasn’t one to stick around for long and soon moved on in search of new goldfields. For George, the thrill was in the adventure of locating the gold. In the spirit of George’s prospecting conquests, the first release of Moonlight Creek Whisky is limited to a select few gutsy pioneers.
PRISTINE WATER
New Zealand’s abundant rainfall feeds some of the purest spring water in the world. This rain travels thousands of kilometres across the great Southern Ocean, untainted by landmass and falls in a deluge on the Paparoa Ranges of New Zealand’s South Island West Coast, where George Fairweather Moonlight struck gold in 1865. 159 years later, we have discovered the new gold, inspired by his legacy.
