‘New World’ Spirits Are Crashing the Whisky World’s Inner Circle
Distilleries in Israel, India and Peru have begun winning worldwide acclaim.
From left: Kavalan Oloroso Sherry Cask from Taiwan, M&H Elements Sherry Cask from Israel, Paul John Oloroso Select Cask from India, Don Michael Black Single Barrel from Peru and Stauning Rye from Denmark.
Photographer: Isa Zapata for Bloomberg Businessweek
At the prestigious World Whiskies Awards in March, the top prize for best single malt didn’t go to Ardbeg or Glenlivet or Glenmorangie. The judges instead crowned a sherry-casked expression from M&H Distillery in Tel Aviv. Its maturation in the arid desert climate helps focus robust red-fruit flavors, notes that might not emerge in the brisk and breezy Scottish Highlands.
The overwhelming majority of whisky comes from just five countries: Scotland, Canada, Ireland, Japan and the US. But notable alternatives are cropping up with increasing regularity. They’ve come to be known as New World whiskies, a term its crafters wear with pride. “New World whisky represents the spirit of innovation and the breaking of boundaries,” says Ali Reynolds, global brand ambassador for Stauning Whisky, a distillery in Skjern, Denmark. “It allows producers outside of the classic regions to showcase their unique terroirs, traditions and techniques.”