Name: Operation Manuka.
Brand: Waiheke Whisky
SKU: SCHG700RRP
Price: 399.00 NZD
Availability: InStock

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Manuka smoked single malt whisky

OPERATION MANUKA LIMITED TO 300 BOTTLES.

We've done something a little different.

For the first time — and the last — we've stepped away from our traditional New Zealand peated whisky to try something new. Operation Manuka is a limited edition release, crafted under special circumstances and never to be repeated.

Distilled using 100% Manuka smoked malt from a single cask, it's a genuine departure for us. Bold, smoky, and unmistakably New Zealand, it's an operation born from precision, risk, and a deep respect for craft.

A tribute to our founder — a surgeon with a steady hand and a taste for the extraordinary — Operation Manuka reflects the surgical focus and creative freedom that define Waiheke Whisky. The name says it all.

We're quite pleased with the results. We think you will be too.

Manuka smoke single malt whisky

Colour

Gold
Nose

iodine, Manuka smoke, warm spice, and vanilla
Taste

it delivers a soft and balanced entry with gentle smoky notes and a luscious texture. Manuka gives a rich mouth filling sweetness of glazed ham and pineapple
Finish

Smoke and sea characters dominate, building into a finish that is full-bodied and satisfying

MANUKA SMOKED MALT

GLADFIELDS Manuka smoked malt, a unique taste of NZ , double distilled and then matured in a STR American oak barrel for 5 years

Barrel Type

STR American Oak
Barrel Size

200 Litres
Aged For

5 Years
Batch Number

1 batch : 300 bottles

Crafting Waiheke's Whisky

Making whisky by the sea, our fresh water has a briny ocean influence. The combined with organic New Zealand 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 are in the right place. Our Island is our biggest ally.

Step 01

Mashing

We start with a half ton mash of NZ malted barley and water from our aquifer

Step 02

Fermenting

We embark on a 72 hour ferment using NZ yeast in non-pressurised-washbacks

Step 03

Wash Distilation

3,000 litre batch wash distilation for approximately 8 hours with 25% ABV low wines in copper pot stills

Step 04

Spirit Distilation

Low wines and feints distillation with manual head cuts and tail cuts in copper pot stills

Our commitment to sustainable Whisky

Making whisky is not just about good liquid. Sustainability is not just a buzz word

Making whisky today is not just about good liquid, we have a chance to break convention and innovate for a better future. Sustainability is not just a buzz word. Questions we asked about whisky were ....Why ship heavy bottomed glass bottles weighing over a kilo around the world? Why glue cork onto plastic just so you can get an extra sensation opening the bottle? Can we use recycled glass? How can we encourage reuse?

Did you know?

You can visit our distillery at THE HEKE open every day for tours and tastings

You can visit our distillery at THE HEKE. We offer cultural and educational tours and tastings here on our 8 acre property at 64 Onetangi Road. You may book for tours and tastings by email for now. Trade Groups can book for Founders Tours, regular tours and special events via events@theheke.co.nz Our brand home also serves delicious food and snacks to pair with your whisky tastings. Browse the gift shop for one of our famous t-shirts or a distillery exclusive release

Open Hours

Open from 12 -4: open every day
Closing times may vary

check www.theheke.co.nz for updates.

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Expert testimonials

"The smoke is ember-like; aromatic and earthy. It’s a Seamus Heaney poem in liquid form. All have clarity and sweetness not muddied confusion. These are extraordinarily assured whiskies."

— 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 perfect comparison"

— Joshua Hatton (One Nation Under Whisky)

The smoke is ember-like; aromatic and earthy. It’s a Seamus Heaney poem in liquid form. All have clarity and sweetness not muddied confusion. These are extraordinarily assured whiskies."

— Joe Brown