The Oamaruvian 18 Year Old 2000 Cask Strength Single Cask #565 Double Wood Matured New Zealand Single Malt Whisky (2018) 50cl

The Oamaruvian 18 Year Old 2000 Cask Strength Single Cask #565 Double Wood Matured New Zealand Single Malt Whisky (2018) 50cl

Hardly Seen in the United Kingdom, Oamaruvian Whisky from New Zealand. 

Aged for six years in American Oak, ex-bourbon, and finished for twelve years in French Oak, ex-red wine barrels. Bottled at cask strength.

TASTING NOTES

Colour:  Dark cherry wood

Nose:  Bold port-soaked raisins followed by dark cherries, cloves and various stone fruits.  Water and time brings out pecan praline, almonds and balsamic reduction glaze.

Taste:  A vibrant taste of dried fruits, including dried cherries and strawberries, intertwined with almonds and nutmeg leading to a palate covering liquorice sweetness spiked with anise.

Finish:  A slightly drying and energetic see-saw between the spices and sweetnesses experienced.  Somewhat acidic on the tongue, but it carries a very pleasant balance along the drawn out port-like finale.

The Story

New Zealand whisky evangelists and winemakers Warren and Deb Preston identified Oamaru’s historic Harbour Precinct as an ideal seaside climate for whisky maturation. Next, they did something profound. They decanted over 200 barrels of Dunedin distilled single grain whisky out of American bourbon barrels and into French oak NZ wine barrels. The Dunedin DoubleWood was born. Eight years on, The New Zealand Whisky Collection is proud to present The Oamaruvian – specially selected casks chosen for their rich toffee, floral nose and creaming soda mouth-feel with a hint of Oamaru sea spray to finish.

About Oamaruvian

In 1997, the last whisky distillery in New Zealand was closed, and hundreds of barrels of cask-strength whisky were either auctioned off or mothballed. By 2010, we secured the last 80,000 litres of this historic whisky, stored in 443 barrels, from an old airplane hangar. These rare and exceptional drams now age gracefully in our towering seaside bonds store in Oamaru, preserving a slice of whisky history from what was once the world’s southernmost distillery. Our mission has always been to reignite New Zealand’s whisky industry, and in 2020, we took a bold step forward. We built and installed a new distillery within the iconic Speight’s Brewery in Dunedin, marking the return of whisky distilling to the city. By February 2021, The Dunedin Distillery began producing its first beautiful new-make spirit, combining the best of traditional methods with modern innovation. This milestone fulfils a long-held dream to bring whisky distilling back to its roots in Dunedin, ensuring that New Zealand whisky continues to flourish for generations to come.

A Legacy Rooted in the South

Whisky distilling in New Zealand began with the arrival of Scottish settlers in the 1830s, particularly in Otago, where the industry thrived until government regulations effectively shut it down in the 1870s. By the 1950s, whisky distilling began to re-emerge, and in 1974, the Baker family opened the Willowbank Distillery in Dunedin.

Willowbank was renowned for producing iconic whiskies such as Wilsons, 45 South, and the single malt Lammerlaw. In the 1980s, the distillery came under the ownership of Seagrams of Canada, and production continued to thrive until 1997, when it was sold to Fosters. Unfortunately, Fosters mothballed operations, sending the stills to Fiji for rum production and leaving New Zealand without an operational whisky distillery – until now.

57.8% ABV

50cl