Thanks to the immense popularity of scotch, Irish whiskey, and bourbon, whisky is usually associated with Scotland, Ireland, and the United States. But they are far from the only countries making whisky. In fact, there’s incredible whisky from around the world worth drinking. And since geography plays such a big role in taste and texture, each place provides its own unique characteristics to whisky.
Whether it’s using their climate to their advantage or borrowing techniques from other alcohol industries, these seven countries put a unique spin on whisky production. And the result is whisky unlike anything you’ll find anywhere else. Here are seven whiskies from around the world worth tasting.
Incredible Whisky from Around the World
1. Starward Whisky from Australia
Located in the heart of Melbourne, Australia, Starward Distillery’s secret weapon is location, location, location. They use malted barley grown in the Grain Belt of Australia, not far from the distillery. They age their whisky exclusively in Australian red wine casks and their proximity to nearby wineries means the time between wine leaving the barrels and whisky filling them can be as short as 48 hours.
Plus the Australian weather ages whisky faster than other places thanks to its dramatic temperature swings. It’s often said that Melbourne experiences all four seasons in one day. So Starward’s whisky, usually only aged around 3 years, tastes like it’s been in a barrel much longer.
Australian Whisky to Try :: Starward’s Nova is a single malt whisky aged in Australian red wine casks (specifically Shiraz, Cabernet, and Pinot Noir). It has beautiful notes of vanilla with chili spice, nuttiness, and creamy fruit. It’s perfect when I’m in a red wine mood but don’t want to open a bottle. Actually it’s perfect for any mood — I’m such a huge fan I actually got an entire single cask of it!
2. Gouden Carolus Whisky from Belgium
Whisky is definitely not your first thought when it comes to Belgian alcohol. Besides being famous for beer, Belgium is also the birthplace of Genever, the precursor to gin. (Although barrel-aged genever is like a mix between gin and whisky.)
But I like to think of beer as pre-distilled whisky. And at Het Anker in Belgium, that’s exactly the case. Het Anker started brewing beer in 1471, eventually becoming famous for their Gouden Carolus Tripel beer, a full-bodied, seasoned beer. After perfecting it for centuries, Het Anker opened a distillery in 2010, distilling the mash of Tripel beer into whisky. The single malt whisky ages in first fill ex-bourbon casks before finishing in Anker casks.
Belgian Whisky to Try :: Gouden Carolus single malt whisky is distilled from beer and aged in beer casks. So obviously it has a lot of beer-esque flavor notes. In fact, it’s a perfect whisky for beer drinkers because the light, malty notes are so prominent. On the nose are notes of cereal and lemon peel, and on the palate wood, grain, honey, and pear.
3. Michel Couvreur Whisky from France
The wine world has long been a proponent of terroir, the French concept that the geography of a particular region affects taste. The theory goes that a region’s climate, soil, terrain, and tradition all influence the taste of wine. And not just wine, either; arguably, terroir plays a large part in differentiating the five scotch regions of Scotland, too. (Wine Folly explains terroir more here.)
Michel Couvreur takes the concept of terroir to a unique level and applies it to whisky. They blend new make whisky distilled in Scotland and, using ex-wine casks (usually sherry casks from Spain), age it in underground cellars in Burgundy, France. The idea is that whisky should be a combination of terroir, the distiller’s touch, and oak maturation. And the result is impressive.
French Whisky to Try :: Michel Couvreur Overaged Malt Whisky, made from malted barley distilled at an undisclosed distillery in Scotland, ages in Spanish sherry casks in France. It has a beautiful nose with red fruits and vanilla with grassy, musky notes. And the palate is equally pretty, with creamy red fruits, chocolate, and hints of salt and spice. I love the funky musk in the nose and the interestingly beautiful palate. I’ll note this isn’t easy to find, but worth it when you do.
4. Simon’s Feinbrennerei Whisky from Germany
Like Belgium, when you think of alcohol from Germany, your first thought is probably beer. But right in the heart of the Bavarian beer mecca, Simon’s Feinbrennerei is making whisky. And where there’s good beer, there’s good whisky.
Owned by a fifth generation winemaker and distiller, Simon’s Feinbrennerei uses old techniques repurposed for modern distilleries. Besides growing their own grain, they hand make barrels using local wood, Spessart Oak. They make several types of whisky, some taking inspiration from American and Irish whiskey but with a Bavarian spin. Ironically when I first nosed the whisky, my first thought was drinking beer in Munich!
German Whiskies to Try :: Inspired by bourbon with a mashbill of 65% corn, 35% malted barley, Simon’s Feinbrennerei Pot Still American Style Whiskey ages 3 years in Spessart oak. It has notes of cherries and cornbread, with lots of wood. The Bavarian Pot Still Whisky, a nod to Irish whiskey made from malted and ummalted barley, ages 5 years in Spessart oak and finishes in local red wine barrels. It has nice vanilla, honey, and roasted almost notes with hints of red fruit. The Bavarian Rye Whisky, distilled from 100% rye, ages 40 months in Spessart oak quarter casks. It has lots of woody vanilla notes with rye, caramel, bananas, and red wine tannins. It’s my favorite of the three.
5. Penderyn Whisky from Wales
Wales was once a distilling powerhouse, with a distilling history dating back to the Middle Ages. But by the 1900s every still had shut down. Fast forward a century later, a group of friends decided to bring whisky production back to Wales by opening the Welsh Whisky Company. Now known as Penderyn, the distillery is the first of five in Wales (and the only one currently selling whisky).
Obviously influenced by its northern neighbors in Scotland, Penderyn Distillery produces single malt whisky distilled in pot stills and aged in ex-bourbon casks. They finish whisky in wine casks (like sherry, Madeira, and Port) and even casks that previously aged peated Islay whisky, giving some expressions a smoky note. Two interesting factors worth noting about Penderyn: the unique shape of their pot still means they only distill their single malt once. (Most single malt is distilled twice.) And second, their distilling team is all women!
Welsh Whisky to Try :: Penderyn’s Madeira is their most classic expression, aged in ex-bourbon and finished in Madeira. It has sweet herbal notes on the nose, with a sweet, biscuity palate with hints of custard. I like that Penderyn’s whisky has definite differences in the taste profile compared to Scottish single malt, even though they’re made in a similar way in a similar climate.
6. Kavalan Whisky from Taiwan
Over on the other side of the world, whisky in Asia is dominated by the popularity of Japanese whisky. But Kavalan Distillery in Taiwan is quickly changing that narrative. Taiwan has a unique advantage thanks to the intense heat and humidity, which age their whisky quickly. Although that comes with a price: Kavalan’s angels’ share — the amount of whisky that evaporates from the barrel each year — is 10-15%! (By comparison, the angels’ share in Scotland is usually around 2-4%.)
Owned by the King Car Group that has made coffee for decades, Kavalan Distillery uses the same principles for grinding coffee when milling their barley. It’s then triple distilled in pot stills and aged in a variety of casks.
Taiwanese Whisky to Try :: Kavalan’s Oloroso Sherry Oak and ex-Bourbon Oak are my favorite of their core lineup. Both exhibit traditional sherry and ex-bourbon flavor profiles (respectively), combined with some heat. And their cask strength Soloist Series are even more impressive, but unfortunately on the pricey side.
7. Milk & Honey Whisky from Israel
Yes, even Israel produces whisky! The story of Milk & Honey Distillery is similar to many others on this list. A group of friends decided to make whisky in their hometown of Tel Aviv, building a distillery on the site of a former bakery in 2014. They discovered Tel Aviv’s extreme weather matured whisky quickly, but at a high cost — the angel’s share is an astounding 25%! And they enlisted the help of world renowned master distiller Jim Swan, an expert on maturing whisky in hot climates.
(Fun fact: Jim Swan was also a consultant for Gouden Carolus, Penderyn, and Kavalan, above. Plus one of my favorite distilleries not on this list, Kilchoman.)
Milk & Honey admits they’re still tweaking where and how to age their whisky, and what to age it in. In addition to Tel Aviv, they’re aging casks on the roof of a hotel near the Dead Sea, and eventually other areas in Israel with different climates. They’re currently using virgin, ex-bourbon casks, red wine STR (that’s shave, toast, rechar) casks, ex-Islay casks (for a hint of peat), and pomegranate wine casks. Most of the single malt ages for at least 3 years.
Israeli Whisky to Try :: Milk & Honey’s Whisky in Bloom Lightly Peated is a single malt aged in ex-bourbon, ex-red wine STR, and ex-Islay casks for a hint of peatiness on the palate. It also has notes of vanilla, dried fruit, honey, and ginger. So far I’ve only tried two of Milk & Honey’s whiskies, but I’m anxious to try more as they fine-tune their process.
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This list is just a fraction of the whisky from around the world worth drinking. Most of these are available in the United States (Simon’s Feinbrennerei being the exception), so try them next time you see them. And next time you’re abroad, try the local whisky. You never know what you might discover!
Related :: Pairing French Single Malt with Champagne, Belgian Genever is a Mix Between Gin & Whisky, and A Guide to the Five Scotch Regions of Scotland
