Wilsons Matured Blend Whisky / New Zealand
A very unusual blended whisky produced in New Zealand from Malt and New Zealand Barley.
The Willowbank Distillery was established by the Baker family, with production commencing in December 1969. In 1974 the first whisky went on sale and the company was renamed Wilson Distillers Ltd. Located in Dunedin on the South Island of New Zealand, Willowbank was the most southerly whisky distillery in the world. The distillery was acquired by Seagram Company Ltd in 1981. Under Seagram’s ownership the distillery released the 10 year old Lammerlaw Whisky, named after the nearby mountain range. Sadly, the distillery ceased production in 1997 as Seagram’s rationalised their business portfolio and sold the business to the Foster’s Group. The distillery was mothballed in 2000 and the stills were reportedly shipped to Fiji for the production of rum.
The New Zealand Malt Whisky Company (NZMWC) secured the remaining whisky stocks, still ageing in barrels. NZMWC has sold the single malt whisky obtained from the Willowbank Distillery under the Milford brand, along with blended whiskies under the Prestons brand. The owners of the Willowbank whisky stocks, The New Zealand Malt Whisky Company & Preston Associates Limited went into receivership in early 2010, and for a period the fate of NZMWC was unknown.
