The now defunct Willowbank distillery was opened in the South Island of New Zealand, close to Dunedin in 1969 by the Baker family. Whisky production began in 1974, and by 1981 the distillery was acquired by Seagram's, and the stainless steel stills were replaced by traditional copper stills, with whiskies then released under the "Lammerlaw" name, being both a nearby mountain range, and the source of water for Whisky production. The distillery was mothballed in 1997 when Seagram’s sold the distillery to Foster’s. The site was subsequently dismantled, with the two copper stills and four column grain stills shipped to Fiji for rum distillation. The remaining stock is now owned by The New Zealand Whisky Company and stored in a seaside warehouse in Oamaru.
This single cask Willowbank from 1989 was bottled by the New Zealand Whisky Company at cask strength in 2013 after 24 years. A curious and exceedingly rare find!
Size: 70 cl
ABV: 54.5%
Fill level: Good
With box?: No (note slight tears to label, see picture)