We caught up with our Master Distiller to chat about Scapegrace Single Casks - what makes them a unique investment, and how place, climate, and craft all come together in every drop.
It really comes down to individuality. A single cask is never blended or mixed. Each barrel has its own story, shaped by the wood, the environment, and the years it’s spent aging. That uniqueness is what makes single casks so special - it’s whisky in its most individual form.
We work mostly with American and French oak - each brings its own character to the whisky. Early on, we spent years exploring oak from eight different regions across France, and eventually settled on casks from Vogüé and Alliers. They offered the balance and complexity we were after. We also work with American first-fill bourbon barrels, which bring warm, buttery layers along with rich vanilla and subtle sweet spice.
An interesting thing we’ve done is repurposing French and American oak barrels that previously held red wine. The local ones we’ve used from Central Otago are just a couple of years old, and they add these beautiful, layered fruit notes that really complement the spirit.
Our climate here in New Zealand plays a big role. Scapegrace is situated in Central Otago on the 45th parallel (halfway between the equator and south pole), so we get big temperature swings, especially in the in-between seasons - freezing cold mornings, warm afternoons. The fluctuating temperatures cause the whisky to engage more actively with the oak, as the thermal shifts push the liquid in and out of the wood.
This process draws out tannins, lactones, and vanillins - key compounds that significantly enrich the whisky’s depth and complexity. It’s one of the reasons we see a lot of development in just a few years. The location of our barrel house - close to the mountains, clean air, seasonal extremes - all that feeds into how each cask matures. You can’t control it completely, which is kind of the point.
We’re still shaping what New Zealand whisky truly is, but for us it starts with a strong sense of place. That means using locally grown barley and, in our case, incorporating Manuka-smoked malt - a uniquely Kiwi twist. You could think of it as our local answer to peated whisky. Manuka is a native wood, and it adds this distinct, savoury depth that sets our whisky apart on the global stage.
We honour tradition, but we’re always adding our own twist. New Zealand whisky is built on quality and authenticity, with a genuine commitment to creating something world-class while staying true to our roots.
Single casks give people something they can’t get anywhere else. A product with a story, a sense of place, and an identity. They're not mass-produced. They're bottled when they're ready, and once they’re gone, they’re gone. That scarcity, combined with the quality of the spirit, makes them worth paying attention to.
It’s growing. We’ve got more distilleries, more variety, and more international interest than ever before. But the real opportunity is in defining what New Zealand whisky is - not just following what's been done elsewhere. At Scapegrace, we’re committed to making something that’s ours: local grain, our climate, our own flavour profiles. It’s early days, but the foundation is strong.
As for single casks - that’s where things get really exciting. Each one is a product of chance. You can fill ten casks on the same day, from the same spirit and wood, and years later they’ll each tell a different story. Maybe one was stored closer to a door, maybe the oak just interacted differently - but that’s the beauty of it. A single cask is a one-off, a moment captured in time. A single cask is a snapshot of time, never to be repeated.
We have a small exclusive parcel of Scapegrace Single Cask bottlings now available in AWC - ideal for high end accounts or investors. For further information please contact Kerry Cowan: Kerry@scapegracedistillery.com
