I recently met with Desiree Reid, founder of Cardrona Distillery, over lunch at the newly opened Lucky Cat Bishopsgate by Gordon Ramsay, with its impressive panoramic views over the London skyline, to talk about New Zealand whisky.
The lunch was to introduce us to a small range of Cardrona’s whiskies and vodka, including their award-winning single malt “The Falcon” which really showcases the distillery’s craftsmanship. And the Lucky Cat menu with its Sashimi selection and exquisite fish dishes was the perfect pairing for Cardrona’s smooth whiskies.
Cardrona Distillery has achieved a lot in the last 10 years. Established in 2015, Desiree followed her dream to craft a New Zealand single malt whisky that would really stand out on the world stage.
The distillery can be found in the remote Cardrona Valley in the Crown Range on New Zealand’s South Island. With its beautiful setting amongst the backdrop of the mountains, the talented team Desiree put together, following a great deal of global travel and tutelage from renowned whisky experts, have created a portfolio of exceptional spirits including gin, vodka and their outstanding single malt whiskies.
Renowned for its dedication to traditional methods, sustainability and exceptional quality, Cardrona Distillery crafts single malt whisky, vodka, gin and liqueurs using traditional methods and local ingredients. Even the bottling, labelling and packaging is done by hand at the distillery.
We were treated to three variants of Cardrona’s flagship and award-winning single malt “The Falcon”, which is an exquisite trinity of three hand-selected casks that include ex-Bourbon, ex-Sherry and ex-Pinot Noir. They provide The Falcon with a real depth of flavour and colour, enhancing its unique character. The pinot noir casks are sourced through Cardrona’s exclusive partnership with a local winery, as an acknowledgement to the region’s reputation as one of New Zealand’s premier wine destinations.
Winning a double gold medal at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, “The Falcon” received a score of 95 points and was the only New Zealand whisky to achieve double gold in the competition. It also won two gold medals at the World Whiskies Awards in 2024, including New Zealand’s best small batch single malt and best single malt 12 years and under.
“The Falcon” is, for many, best enjoyed neat, with its flavours of burnt toffee, vanilla cream, sun-scorched nectarine and pepper. The whisky’s unique flavour can be attributed to the altitude in Cardrona Valley, as well as the dramatic temperature changes through the seasons.
Cardrona Distillery adopts a traditional approach to crafting its single malt whisky, using only the highest quality ingredients that include pristine alpine water sourced from the heart of Mount Cardrona, malted barley grown on the rich fertile plains of the South Island and distiller’s yeast.
The liquid is double-distilled in a pair of hand-hammered Forsyths copper pot stills, unique to Cardrona and known by the team as ‘Roaring Meg’ and ‘Gentle Annie’. With capacities of 2,000 and 1,300 litres respectively, these small stills are integral to the production and character of Cardrona’s single malt whiskies, producing a limited edition of only 1501 bottles of “The Falcon”, making it a much sought after one-of-a-kind single malt whisky as well as one of the world’s most collectible drams.
Desiree also brought along a bottle of The Reid Single Malt Vodka, which is an ultra-premium vodka with exquisite character, giving a depth and distinction to cocktails such as the classic martini, which more neutral vodkas are not able to do.
The Reid reveals delicate aromas of pear drops, lemon zest, toffee and malt biscuits on the nose, whilst on the palate, it is weighted and balanced with a silky-smooth finish.
Handcrafted at the Cardrona Distillery, this single malt vodka is created from just three of the finest ingredients, namely pristine alpine water sourced from the heart of Mount Cardrona, distiller’s yeast and malted barley grown on the South Island’s fertile plains, which is milled on-site. But unlike most modern vodkas, The Reid is unfiltered, allowing its distinctive personality to really shine through in cocktails and dare I say, may even be the best vodka you will ever taste. And it’s not just me saying that, as it was awarded Gold at the World’s Best 50 International Awards in New York.
For more information on Cardrona Distillery and its award-winning whiskies, please visit: www.cardronadistillery.co.uk. And if you would like to get your hands on a bottle of this flagship single malt whisky, then you should be able to find “The Falcon” at leading retailers, including The Whisky Exchange, Berry Bros & Rudd, Master of Malt and of course, directly from Cardrona Distillery, with a 70cl bottle (52% abv) retailing for £175.00 and it comes in a beautiful handmade oak frame.
A 700ml bottle (44% abv) of The Reid Single Malt Vodka is available from Waitrose and www.thereid.co.nz, and retails at £57.00.
Author Bio:
Simon Burrell is a UK-based travel and motoring journalist and editor, a former member of The British Guild of Travel Writers and professional photographer.
Photographs courtesy of Cardrona Distillery
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