'Very cool': Pōkeno Whisky chosen for world-first climate study

Waikato distillery The Pōkeno Whisky Company has been selected for an international study into how different climates shape the maturation, chemistry and taste of whisky.

The study, titled Climate-Driven Maturation Signatures in Global Whisky: A Comparative Multi-Continental Chemical and Sensory Study, examines whiskies from The 8 Continent Series - including one matured in Antarctica. 

Pōkeno Whisky co-founder Matt Johns says the company uses New Zealand-grown ingredients - and the conditions where the barley grows are unique. 

"We get a very sweet raw material, compared to other countries. And we've got the pure spring water, our water is very rich in iron manganese - that's really going to help the fruitiness of a whisky." 

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