Visit us at The Heke
Our distillery is based at The Heke, a beautiful site with a restaurant, 2 bars, a function room and lots of space for kids, dogs and families. ...
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awarded Best NZ single malt: Drammys and NZSA 2023
shipping now in time for father's day
NEW releases : batch 002
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Discover our range
"...the smoke is ember-like, aromatic and earthy. It’s a Seamus Heaney poem in liquid form. Dig in. All have clarity and sweetness, not muddied confusion. These are extraordinarily assured whiskies and another interpretation of place from this hugely exciting whisky-producing country".
Dave Broom
"Their new-make is remarkable...it's one of the few whiskies where you can really taste the new-make DNA in the whisky...Springbank is the prefect comparison."
Joshua Hatton - One Nation Under Whisky
"Good maturation on show – having tasted the distillery’s new make you can clearly identify the spirit character as it mingles with the oak...I’m genuinely impressed. A fine debut."
Neil Murphy – WhiskyReviews.Net
"This is one of the most interesting and complex 5 year old whiskies I’ve ever tasted. Sweet and syrupy on the nose with just a hint of brine. 90/100 points."
The Single Malt Review
V.i.t.r.i.o.l
our unique stills
We've gone back to scratch for still design and manufacture with a unique approach.
double gold 2023
cantankerous
Following our medals at the NZ Spirits Awards we took home best in category for Whisky.
The trophy in the Whisky Category was awarded to Cantankerous.
Our Tenth award this year, so far picking up 4 golds, 4 silvers 1 bronze and best in category in both the NZ spirits awards and the Drammys
4 GOLDS, best in show FOR WAIHEKE WHISKY AT THE 2023 SPIRITS AWARDS
A fantastic result for the Waiheke Whisky team - taking away 4 Golds, 4 Silvers and 1 Bronze medal for the 6 expressions we entered into the 2023 awards.
still crazy
What started as one man's obsession has grown to become a full scale commercial distillery.
the process
how we make our whisky
Making whisky by the sea from fresh, salty rainwater, combined with organic Canterbury Malted Barley, gives us our unique taste profile. If you like salinity and seaweed with sweet nuts and cigar smoke with a toffee or two, you're in the right place. Our Island is our biggest ally.
cask selection and maturation
Traditional ex Bourbon casks rub shoulders with Chardonnay and Syrah ex wine barrels. Learn about our wood philosophy and experimentation.
OUR LATEST RELEases & NEWS
Join kindred spirits
Our Kindred Spirits Club will be amongst the first to know about our new releases.
kōrero pono
We come from an island
walk on the sky, the ocean above
lends its briny tang to sleeping casks
They age in dog years
peat-touched spirit breathing life
into the new world whisky fabric
Our horizon glows copper
distilling the past and the future
We Are Waiheke Whisky
Featured articles
Distillery Build Update 21/5/23
The barrel room, which will house our private casks, events and large tastings is now fully lined, with a great feature window showing the stills. ...
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