Pōkeno Origin

A rich, New Zealand Single Malt Whisky by Matt John & his wife Celine founders of Pōkeno Whisky Company in Auckland's Bombay Hills, New Zealand crafted with locally sourced barley & spring water before being aged in first-fill bourbon casks before being bottled at 43.0% ABV. It has an aromatic birth with notes of grain, wood, herbs & spices; while a rich & creamy life adds notes of honey, grapefruit, cherry & fudge; that led to balanced & silky death of medium length with notes of black pepper, candied lemon peel, oak, cinnamon, brown sugar & vanilla pudding with bananas and Nilla wafers. January 2024

My first that I recall of New Zealand whisky! A nice complex flavor palette. Up front i get cherry with a little heat buildup which mellows into a nice smooth, smoky with that reminiscent cherry. Not enough to say this is a cherry flavored whisky but just that subtle hint. I’ll keep my eye out for this one.

Very rich from the start, lemon and honey notes. Not sour, just a little citrus flavor that's quite nice. Richness lets tail tingle for a while, but it's mostly burn. Flavors are light but the body isn't, the contrast doesn't work as well as it could.

2023 Flaviar Advent Calendar - day 23 👃: nice blend of sweet notes - honey and vanilla 👅: light and herbal, just a hint of the sweetness from the nose 🏁: very smooth, just a bit of oak as it washes down

Very light and fruity. Definitely still whiskey but probably the lightest and fruitiest one, also buttery smooth. Little bit of coconut and honey too. Nice changeup whiskey

In the nose, there's herbal and citrus notes with a hint of beer. It's sweet, but tart almost bitter like an ipa. It's rich but not a long finish with fruit and spice.