Reefton Distilling Co.’s Moonlight Creek achieves Gold

Reefton Distilling Co. has begun 2025 in winning form by adding prestigious new awards, for their Moonlight Creek Whisky, to their already impressive lineup of 88 medals attained for their Little Biddy Gin between 2019 and 2024.

Well-known for creating a stir in both the New Zealand and global spirits sectors with their international award-winning range of Little Biddy New Zealand Botanical Gins, Vodka and Fruit Liqueurs, Reefton Distilling Co. commenced production of their Moonlight Creek Single Malt Whisky in 2022.

In 2023 they made the headlines as the first New Zealand distillery to sell whisky to the Scots, landing a multi-year supply contract with the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS). It seems that the foresight of the SMWS and that of the world-renowned whisky panel advising this independent West Coast Distillery was not misplaced, as Reefton Distilling Co.’s Moonlight Creek has just achieved international awards for their New Make and Young Spirit at the World Whiskies Awards Rest of World (ROW) 2025

Liquid Gold

Reefton Distilling Co. has achieved a significant milestone with both their Moonlight Creek, Manuka Smoked, Young Spirit* Ref 2 and their Moonlight Creek, New Make Spirit *Ref 1, each winning Gold and Category Winner in the New Make & Young Spirit category at the prestigious World Whiskies Awards ROW 2025 competition.

These accolades highlight Reefton Distilling Co. as one of New Zealand’s most exciting new talents in whisky production.

Reefton Distilling Co. Founder and Chief Executive Patsy Bass commented, “We are extremely pleased to know that both our new make spirit and young spirit is already able to stand with the world’s best.” Patsy added “To have this recognition from a blind tasting by a panel made up of some of the world’s best international, leading journalists, specialist drinks retailers and industry experts is a huge vote of confidence in the whisky that our team are creating here on the West Coast.”

Patsy went on to say, “The entire Reefton Distilling Co. family including our shareholders and private cask owners, are thrilled with the result.”

With the first casks filled and laid down in September 2022, the maturation process for Reefton Distilling Co.’s initial Single Malt Whisky offering (Moonlight Creek) is well underway. The Distilling team continue to lay down multiple casks each week adding to the precious stocks of their New World Whisky.

The Company released 100x 200L Founders Casks to market in late June 2023, with purchases from as far afield as the UK and Europe, with a limited number still available.

The distillery also plan to release a Limited Edition bottling of 3-year aged single malt, which will be released as soon as their internationally renowned whisky panel deem it meets the desired quality and profile, which they estimate will be later this year.

A growing reputation

This recognition adds to Reefton Distilling Co.’s growing reputation, which has included their coming together with West Coast hapu Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Waewae to honour the land, the people and the traditions of Te Tai Poutini/the West Coast.

In recognition of the significant contribution that Reefton Distilling Co. have made to the region, Ngāti Waewae have gifted treasured pieces of their revered taonga Pounamu, which sit within a specially commissioned filter over which all water now used to make Little Biddy Gin and Moonlight Creek Whisky, flows.

These premium spirits then carry the wairua/spirit of this remarkable region to the world.

About the World Whiskies Awards

The World Whiskies Awards are internationally renowned for recognising and selecting the very best in all of the internationally recognised styles in the whisky industry.

From big name distillers to smaller, independent producers, the competition aims to spotlight the prestige and diversity of the global whisky market.

The ‘Taste Categories’ are based upon the commonly held whisky groupings which define the style and process of whisky production.

Reefton Distilling Co.’s achievement in the New Make & Young Spirit category will see both its Moonlight Creek, Manuka Smoked and Moonlight Creek, New Make Spirit go on to contend in the global finals, set to take place in March this year.

All Country Winners & World’s Best for the World Whiskies Awards 2025 will be announced on 26 March 2025 at the Whisky Magazine Awards Gala Dinner in London

About Moonlight Creek Whisky

Reefton Distilling Co. have everything they need to create this golden spirit right on their doorstep. The West Coast of New Zealand’s abundant rainfall feeds some of the purest spring water in the world and Reefton Distilling Co. use only the finest barley grown and malted in New Zealand, within hours of the distillery.

The grain for the whisky is milled, mashed and fermented on-site in Reefton, before being double pot distilled in handcrafted, copper stills. Only the finest spirit is selected for cask, with each aspect of the process influencing the finished refined profile of the whisky.

The result is a balanced whisky with a sweetness imparted by the malted barley and the size and shape of the copper stills in which it is crafted.

A limited number of Founders Cask’s are available to purchase and Limited Edition 700ml ceramic crocks, handmade by a local Master Potter, and bottled at cask strength are available to pre-order direct from https://www.reeftondistillingco.com/pages/new-zealand-west-coast-whisky.

The full range of Reefton Distilling Co. products including their Limited-Edition Little Biddy Gins, Wild Rain Vodka, Reefton Distilling Co. Liqueurs and Flavour Gallery Gin Series, are available at their cellar door, through their website www.reeftondistillingco.com and at selected liquor outlets and premium specialty stores throughout New Zealand and Australia.

The company also offers distillery tours and tastings from their Smith Street cellar door in Reefton, bookings via the website are r

References

REF 1 - New-Make Spirit is the unaged product of distilling fermented cereal mash in a copper pot, column or hybrid still.

REF 2 - Young Spirit is New-Make Spirit that has been matured for more than six months but under two years in a wooden cask.

Note: If a New-Make or Young Spirit carries a geographical indication (e.g. American Moonshine or Irish New-Make Spirit), it must have been distilled in the country identified on the label. To qualify for this category, a New-Make or Young Spirit must be bottled at >40% ABV and, if it were matured further to a minimum of two years, must have the potential to become a category of whisk(e)y

Source: worldwhiskiesawards.com – Taste categories Definitions