PRIVATE CASK PROGRAMME P R I V A T E 1 contact@thomsonwhisky.com Believers In Craft Starting with South Island grown malted barley, we turn local ingredients into New Zealand single malt whisky. There is a magic in it for us, in the transformation of natural and raw materials, into a beautiful and highly prized dram. The alchemy of whisky making is our spiritual home. Working with our hands is what pleases us. When you’re in that space, and you can smell the sweet new make spirit coming off the still, you’re inside the process. We are the believers in craft work. The nuance of the maker’s way, the specific flavours gained from this malt, this yeast, this copper, this barrel and this distillery. Whisky making is a moment in time and place. Making single malt whisky is our passion and our obsession. The distillery has been our home now for 7 years. In this time we have honed our skills, paying attention to every stage of our production practises, and monitoring our experiments over years as they age in the barrel. Only now, after this long run up, are we ready to offer a private cask programme to share our spirit with you, the loyal drinker. It is with pride that we now open an offer to private cask owners, who will each be purchasing a piece of New Zealand’s distilling history. We invite you to take part in the craft, and capture your own moment in time and place. 2 contact@thomsonwhisky.com Thomson Whisky is one of New Zealand’s forerunning craft whisky distilleries and one of this country’s most awarded whisky brands. The spirit has proved itself on the global whisky stage, and continues to grow in recognition both locally and abroad. » SAN FRANCISCO WORLD SPIRITS COMP 2016 (US) – GOLD x3 » WORLD WHISKY AWARDS 2019 (UK) - BEST NZ SINGLE MALT » WORLD WHISKY AWARDS 2019 (UK) - BEST NZ SINGLE CASK SINGLE MALT » NZ SPIRITS AWARDS 2019 (NZ) - BEST NZ WHISKY » SAN FRANCISCO WORLD SPIRITS COMP 2019 (US) - DOUBLE GOLD - GIN » NZ WHISKY AWARDS “THE DRAMMY’S” 2019 (NZ) - BEST NZ WHISKY » WORLD WHISKY AWARDS 2020 (UK) – BEST NZ SINGLE CASK SINGLE MALT - under 12 yrs » NZ WHISKY AWARDS “THE DRAMMY’S” 2020 (NZ) - BEST NZ WHISKY » NZ SPIRIT AWARDS 2020 (NZ) – BEST NZ WHISKY » NZ WHISKY AWARDS “THE DRAMMY’S” 2021 (NZ) – BEST NZ WHISKY » NZ SPIRIT AWARDS 2021 (NZ) – BEST NZ WHISKY Awards 3 contact@thomsonwhisky.com Private cask purchasers will receive the following; » Spirit samples sent to you at years 1, 3, 5 years. » Thomson Whisky cap and bag. » And ultimately, your own private bottling of Thomson Whisky single malt, once matured, of approximately 270 bottles, with your name on the label, delivered to you for home enjoyment or gifting. Malted barley: Canterbury, New Zealand. Mashing: performed onsite by Hallertau Brewery. Fermentation: approximately 3 – 5 days fermentation in stainless steel fermenters. Stills: Two hand-beaten copper pot stills, situated at the Thomson Whisky Distillery. Condensers: Two worm tub condensers. Cask: 200 litre ex-bourbon barrel. Spirit: Un-smoked smooth, similar in flavour profile to our FIVE single cask release. Maturation: 5 Years in oak. Yield estimate: 200L barrel = approx. 270 x 700ml bottles, bottled at 46% abv. Samples: will be provided by courier to you at 1 year old, 3 years old, 5 years old. Excise tax, labelling, and personalisation – see FAQ section. Private Cask Benefits Spirit Recipe For Private Cask Programme 4 contact@thomsonwhisky.com Cost Investment 200 Litre Private Cask Fill, aged for 5 years by the Thomson Whisky Distillery: 1. PAYMENT ONE - PAYMENT ONE NZD $ Auction price. 2. PAYMENT TWO - Costs at 5 Years Old: excise, bottling, shipping. » Approx. NZD$32.80 inc GST per bottle: New Zealand excise tax, consumables and bottling costs. This is an estimate. » Freight costs, to ship bottles to your specified location. 5 contact@thomsonwhisky.com Can I visit my cask? Our barrel warehouse is offsite from the distillery, for split risk purposes, and is not accessible to visit. This is due to insurance and safety. Will I get samples? Yes, you will receive 3x 50ml samples during the 5 years of maturation. These will be couriered to your desired location at years 1, 3, and 5, just before bottling. Do I own the barrel of whisky? You will not own the barrel of whisky. In taking part in the Thomson Whisky Private Cask Programme, you are purchasing the right to have whisky matured and bottled for your personal use. Can I come for distillery tours? Thomson Whisky is a production-focused distillery that is not currently open to guests for tours. We welcome you to attend our Distillery Open Day, which is held in early December every year. This is a time that we will welcome you for a tour and will be available for questions and tastings. How much is excise tax? In July 2021 the excise rate was $56.625 per litre of 100% alcohol, as per the NZ Customs Service website. You will pay the current rate of excise at the time/year of bottling. Can I sell the barrel of whisky to someone else / a third party? No, sorry. Can I borrow against the barrel of whisky? No. The barrel of whisky is not legally an asset of yours that can be borrowed against. Will the whisky be insured? All Thomson Whisky barrels are insured. Ask us for more info if this is needed. Can I opt for Manuka Smoke or Peat Smoke spirit, instead of Unsmoked? When it comes to our smoked whiskies, we blend barrels, which gives us more control over the end flavour profile. For a single cask release there is no room for blending or addressing batch variation, so we are offering unsmoked spirit in an ex-bourbon barrel, which is a proven combination for great tasting whisky and controllable flavours. This will result in a whisky similar to our FIVE release. What if I want to keep aging the barrel of whisky at the 5 year mark? Thomson Whisky will happily continue to age the barrel of whisky past 5 years, but all warehousing, insurance, sampling and incidental costs will be re-calculated at that time. Will my label be peronalised? Yes. Private Cask Programme barrels will be bottled in the Thomson Whisky “Single Cask bottling” label template system, an example of which can be provided to you. You can have your name or a message on the label, in a set space within the template, to the equivalent of one line of text or 50 characters. For more extensive personalisation we would work with you and agree an additional cost. Can I do a heavily personalised label – i.e more than just my name? Yes, we can help you design a more involved label, with a personal motif/design, and our designers hourly rate will be passed on to you. Ultimate approval of label design will live with the Thomson Whisky team, and they will have final sign off before printing. This is for brand consistency. We will happily work with you to develop a label you’re happy with. Can I sell the whisky once bottled? No. The Private Cask Programme provides private drinkers with personal whisky to be enjoyed at home, or gifted to friends and family. It cannot be sold commercially by you in any form, sold to a shop, sold online or traded for goods. F A Q S