Date visited: 18 February 2024

We were warmly welcomed by Terry Knight, the man behind the family-run distillery in the small town of Takaka in Golden Bay, New Zealand.

Kiwi Spirit Distillery has its own bore and uses some of the finest water I have ever tasted. The water is crystal clear and forms a cornerstone of their production. They produce Blue Agave Tequilana spirit, gin, liqueurs, vodka, tonic—and most importantly for us—whisky.

Terry gave us an incredibly enthusiastic and thorough tour. He vividly recounted the journey from the early days of “Honey Champagne” and schnapps to what Kiwi Spirit is today, with over 8000 agave plants and a growing whisky production.

The whisky, called “Waitui,” is something truly special. Terry doesn’t see whisky just as a drink, but as a story. “Long before the Scots,” he said, “monks stored their spirits in wooden barrels—often ones that had previously held mead.” This idea, Terry has brought back to life. He makes his own mead, which is aged in new Bulgarian oak barrels for six months before those barrels are used for the whisky. The result is a soft, rounded whisky with notes of honey and wood, tasting far more mature than its age would suggest.

The whisky is aged for a minimum of eight years, and despite an annual production of just around 500 liters, Terry plans to scale up to 2500 liters per year in the future. We tasted from various casks—including a former Cognac cask, which had a lovely sweetness and character. A younger whisky from a mead barrel also showed potential with great balance.

The name “Waitui” is a compound Māori word: “Wai” means water, and “Tui” is a New Zealand bird known for its chattiness. So it becomes: “Clear water that makes you talk”—a poetic and fitting description of the experience this whisky delivers.

A big thank you to Terry and Dominic for a wonderful experience and warm welcome. This distillery is not just a production—it’s a passion and a journey.

Terry Knight, the founder of Kiwi Spirit Distillery, is a self-taught distiller with a deep passion for flavor and craftsmanship. His journey began with the production of honey wine, which later led him into the world of whisky distillation and a wide range of other spirits. What started as a small meadery gradually evolved into a full-fledged distillery, which today produces everything from gin and vodka to the distinctive TeKiwi agave spirit—a tribute to both innovation and local terroir.

The distillery is located on a beautiful 25-hectare estate in Golden Bay, surrounded by its own gardens and orchards. These supply ingredients directly to the production, creating a close connection between nature, raw materials, and the final product.

Kiwi Spirit Distillery’s whisky has a distinctive signature style: it is smooth and easy to drink, yet deep and complex. The flavor is marked by clean, elegant oak and a subtle roundness imparted by the unique maturation in casks that previously held honey wine. The result is a whisky with both character and charm—a product shaped by craftsmanship, place, and vision.

^UPDATE: Sadly Terry Knight passed away on the 13th of October 2024 from a heart attack. The distillery continues and is still run by his children Jeremy, Isabella and Oliver.