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TASH MCGILL LOOKS BEYOND THE WHISKY STEREOTYPES AND FINDS THERE’S ONE THERE FOR EVERYONE.

Tash Mcgill introduces us to the delights of craft whisky

WHISKY IS THE most romantic of all the spirits, whether you like an old-fashioned or modern kind of love story. What other drink pulls together ancient traditions, the importance of terroir, modern innovation and thoroughly local spirit? Whisky is a long, slow love affair that requires time, attention to detail and a little mystery. While distillation takes between four and seven days, the clear spirit is then gently laid down to sleep for at least two, three or ten years. Once the master distiller is satisfied that the whisky has reached optimal flavour, its amber glow is bottled and released into the world. Whisky drinkers once fell into almost comical caricatures: older gentlemen who drank Scotch whisky only and judged it by age and peat, or American cowboys or heavymetal lovers who slugged back Jim Beam bourbon or Jack Daniels and Coke.

Thankfully, the world of whisky is now truly global and there’s an open door to a rich spectrum of flavours, experiences and expressions. In Japan, whisky is made from an altogether different barley strain and blended for perfect harmony between the notes, while back in Islay, Scotland they are pushing the peat profile to extremes. Across the Atlantic in the United States, they now make single malt whisky from local barley on the West Coast and go rye-heavy in parts of the South that used to be known for their corn-heavy, syrupy sweet bourbons. In India, whisky is made in the Scotch tradition but falls into the honey-sweet and gentle spice category. Even here in New Zealand, we’re taking ancient traditions from our Celtic heritage but combining traditional distillation with mānuka smoke, local malted barley and then ageing our spirits in New Zealand wine casks. You may not have found a whisky you love yet, but that may just be because you haven’t met the right one for you.