Willowbank Dunedin 1990-2013 - 23 Year Old - The New Zealand Whisky Collection - Single Cask 137

Willowbank was a farm distillery constructed at Dunedin on New Zealand’s South Island in 1969, with distillation commencing officially in 1974. Willowbank was the most southerly whisky distillery in the world at the time and was equipped with both pot and column stills. Owners the Baker family bottled Willowbank’s spirit in their blended whisky brands 45 South and Wilson’s, and consequently the distillery is often referred to as Wilson’s or Dunedin as well as Willowbank.

Seagram bought the distillery in the early 1980s, replacing the stainless steel stills with copper pot stills and bottling Willowbank's single malt as Lammerlaw. Brewing giant Foster’s bought Willowbank in 1997 and promptly shut down and dismantled the distillery, selling the stills to a Fijiian rum producer. Willowbank’s maturing stock of over 400 casks was bought at auction by The New Zealand Whisky Company, who bottle Willowbank’s remaining single malt as Milford’s, Dunedin or The Oamaruvian.