In a New Zealand spirits industry first, West Coast business Reefton Distilling Co. has signed a multi-year contract to sell whisky to the Scotch Malt Whisky Society in Edinburgh, Scotland.
The SMWS, founded in Edinburgh in 1983, is a membership organisation which bottles and sells single cask, single malt whisky. It purchases individual casks from more than 150 malt whisky distilleries in Scotland and throughout the world, bottles them and retails directly to its 40,000 members globally.
Reefton Distilling Co. is the first New Zealand distillery to be selected for inclusion in this exclusive whisky society’s offering. The agreement will see the SMWS purchase minimum agreed volumes of Reefton Distilling Co.’s New-Make Spirit (NMS) each year, for an initial three-year term.
The NMS will be matured in SMWS casks at their bonded warehouses in Scotland, with some also matured in Reefton, allowing a comparison of how the spirit develops at each location. Each cask will yield a limited number of bottles, which will be released by the SMWS under their own label. Each of these limited releases will be available exclusively to their members.
Reefton Distilling Co. CEO Patsy Bass was brimming with pride after learning that the SMWS deemed Reefton Distilling Co.’s New-Make Spirit worthy of inclusion to become one of the Society’s hand-picked whiskies.
“To be selected as the first New Zealand distillery to supply New-Make Spirit to the Scotch Malt Whisky Society is a huge honour and achievement for a New Zealand distillery. It highlights the quality of the New-Make Spirit we are crafting and exporting to the world, and we look forward to developing a long-term, successful relationship with the society and its members around the world.”
Scotch Malt Whisky Society Spirits Director, Kai Ivalo says they were impressed by the quality of the Reefton spirit. "It will offer members of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society another exciting single cask malt whisky full flavour discovery to look forward to in years to come."
The first consignment of Reefton Distilling Co.’s New-Make Spirit is being prepared to leave New Zealand this month.
Pictured below: Patsy Bass with Kai Ivalo.
