On The Up: A bourbon with a Hawke’s Bay twist - the US-made spirit finished in local pinot barrels

Zach Gustafson (left) and Daniel Brennan launched Nowhere Bourbon, finished in pinot noir barrels in Hawke’s Bay. Photo / Michael Farr

Bourbon isn’t typically associated with New Zealand’s drink scene, but American shareholder Zach Gustafson saw an opportunity.

Guatafson said when he arrived in Hawke’s Bay with his family two years ago, he noticed shelves lacked premium bourbon options.

“In New Zealand, bourbon has a negative connotation, commonly associated with RTDs and bourbon cokes,” he said.

“We were disappointed with the limited offering, but rather than complain, we did something about it.”

Gustafson partnered with Decibel Wines owner Daniel Brennan to produce what he claims to be the only whiskey bottled in Hawke’s Bay.

Their new release, Nowhere Bourbon, is distilled and aged in Indiana, where it develops the caramelised notes “expected of a true classic”.

It is then shipped to Hawke’s Bay, finished in hand-selected pinot noir barrels in Hastings and bottled in Napier.

“Kiwis love their pinot, and so we wanted to create something that tailored to the New Zealand taste.”

The pair released about 300 bottles in October, costing $120 for 700ml.

Nowhere Bourbon bottles being labelled during production in Napier.

Launching a bourbon here was not without risk, Gustafson said.

“Sometimes, when something isn’t common, there’s a reason,” he says.

“We’re trying to build a market while the economy isn’t strong, so there’s uncertainty.”

So far, the response has been positive.

“We’ll be at whiskey festivals and people say, ‘I’m a single-malt drinker, I don’t like bourbon’. Then they try ours and go, ‘Maybe I do like bourbon’ ... So, it’s just that they are not drinking the right ones,” he said.

Nowhere Bourbon is sold online and through selected liquor stores, bars and restaurants throughout New Zealand.

For first-time drinkers, Gustafson hopes for one reaction.

“A bit of surprise that it is a bourbon that they really like,” he said.

“The original bourbon gives it a little bit of vanilla-and-cinnamon type of flavours, and then the wine barrels give it some of that dark fruit. So, it ends up being a very smooth, easy-sipping whiskey.”