Cardrona Distillery launches Growing Wings

Cardrona Distillery, based in the Crown Range of New Zealand, won critical acclaim with its 3 year old “Just Hatched” Whisky, selling out in days. Growing Wings marks the conclusion of Just Hatched, taking its place in collector’s archives.

“…this is a distillery that’s set up for the long term. A hugely welcome and high-quality addition to the whisky world” - Dave Broom, Globally renowned whisky writer

About The Cardrona ‘Growing Wings’

Single Malt Whisky

·       Gonzalez Byass Oloroso Sherry Butt – 500 litres

·       Cask # 101

·       Aged 5 years & 1 day

·       Casked: 15/11/2015 – Bottled 16/11/2020

·       61.2 % abv – natural cask strength

·       1248 bottles

·       375 ml

·       RRP $250

Marking the five-year anniversary of the first spirit laid

down at Cardrona, the ‘Growing Wings’ release cask strength whisky is aged in a single Oloroso sherry butt.

Tasting note: Decadently rich with fat sticky raisins coated in  Cardrona's signature borage flower honey and cream. 

This release is very special to the Cardrona family because it was the first distillery owned barrel that was filled, Barrel No. 101.

Cardrona’s progress report series allow Whisky lovers to follow the spirit’s progress towards its future signature 10 year-old.  Cardrona’s icon is named in honour of its guard, the New Zealand falcon.  The New Zealand falcon is often found perched at the end of the barrel house, and the bird famously stood on the neck of the wash still as it was craned into the distillery.

The solera expression of Growing Wings will be released in May 2020 with an RRP $155

- Notes to editors -

How it’s made:

Cardrona’s Single Malt Whisky starts life traditionally from barley, yeast and water that comes from a Cardrona Alpine glacier-filled spring on their land and lends a unique mineral flavour profile. These simple ingredients are carefully milled, mashed, fermented under the watchful eye of Master Distiller Sarah Elsom and her small team of distillers. After a long fermentation the wash is distilled in two small Forsyth copper pot stills, and then matured in Cardrona’s pristine alpine valley.

About the Distillery:

ï       Cardrona Distillery was founded and built in 2015 by craftswoman, Desiree Reid-Whitaker.

ï       Cardrona Distillery is owned and operated by four New Zealand families, the Reids, Whitakers, Macleans & Falconers.

ï       It’s  a  purpose-built  destination  distillery  offering innovative spirits made using traditional thinking.

ï       Family owned and run, using water from our glacier fed spring and a variety of local botanicals giving the spirits a real sense of place. All bottling, labelling and packaging is hand done on site.

ï       The Cardrona Just Hatched 3 year old Solera Whisky has won New Zealand’s Best Single Malt Whisky in the 12 years & under category at the World Whiskies Awards 2020. Just Hatched is now a special feature of a Whisky collector's library. An exclusive award for a very special whisky. 

ï       The Growing Wings Solera will launch in May 2021, replacing Just Hatched Solera.

ï       Cardrona offers incredibly popular distillery tours, with a newly added Family Reserve Tour to enrich the whisky experience for attendees.

ï       Cardrona’s first bottlings of ex- Bourbon and ex-Sherry single casks releases sold out in less than one week of release. We expect an even faster response for this eagerly awaited release.

For more information, prices, images and interviews, contact Rachel Lavalette rachel@cardronadistillery.com