SCAPEGRACE

Between stimulus and response there is a space. A space wide enough to fill with the greatest ambitions and the wildest ideals. It was in this space that two friends fathered an idea for untraditional spirits from an untraditional country using untraditional techniques, and wrote the first chapters for a book where the ending is unknown, but the title is undeniably; Scapegrace.

There's a new name in our local whisky scene, one you’ll have heard of. Scapegrace is a recognised brand for spir-it-loving Kiwis, boasting multiple global Golds, winning Best London Dry Gin In The World from London’s IWSC and known as inventors of the world’s first naturally black gin.

Scapegrace have always been destined to embark upon a single malt journey, joining our modest but supremely successful craft distilleries in showcasing our single malt whisky to the world. Their new distillery is nestled on the banks of Central Otago’s Lake Dunstan, which is traversed by the pristine alpine waters of New Zealand’s longest river, the dynamic Mata-Au. Central Otago is a land of extremes, delivering hot summers and cold winters, the rigorous elements ultimately affecting the angel’s share, the aging process and the way the spirit interacts with the wood.

While this long-awaited first release is stamped with the Scapegrace name, it links back to Central Otago’s past, carrying the mark of local distillers Doug Lawry and his son Anthony. The first limited edition batch of four bottlings includes wood-dominant whiskies of varying age state-ments, non-chill filtered and aged in virgin French oak, with the exception of the Timbre IV, aged in Bulgarian oak.

A story to watch, then, as Scapegrace apply their globally lauded high standards to their latest endeavour.