World Whisky Day is fast approaching on Saturday the 19th May 2018.
As part of the build up I’m featuring a series of blogs – both old and new – over the next month focusing on a country from each letter of the alphabet – if possible – that makes whisky.
Today is N for New Zealand Whisky.
Well – to be honest – this is a blend of New Zealand and Australian whisky, but at least I’ve managed to try it!
Originally posted December 2016
DIGGERS & DITCH, DOUBLE MALT, 45%
Australian whisky doesn’t do blends – as yet.
Single malts are their speciality.
In my brief visit down under I only found one blend that contained Aussie whisky.
Diggers &Ditch could be more accurately called a blended malt.
It’s a mixture of an unnamed Tasmanian single malt with a Dunedin Distillery malt from New Zealand.
The collaboration is to honour the ANZAC – Australian and New Zealand Army Corps – who fought and died in World War 1.
The antipodean relationship with the former colonial master and royalty is still very much in evidence today. Perhaps a vote to finally break all ties would be as divisive as Brexit.
What is not divisive is the quality of this spirit – nor this lovely New Zealand songstress – Lorde.
Bottled at 45%, Diggers &Ditch has a welcome heavier rich malt feel than the generally lighter Tasmanian whiskies I tried. It may be the ex red wine French Oak influence or simply the New Zealand style. Either way it certainly tickled my tastebuds and opened up a new country for me to explore whisky wise.
Lovely to see New Zealand re-enter whisky production.
Sláinte.
WestmeathWhiskeyWorld 