The Distillers Note
Some whiskies are planned years, even decades, in advance... But this one was accidentally forgotten in the back of the vault.
A couple of years ago, our friends Paul and Geoff from Tasman Brewing finished ageing their cult-favourite Event Horizon stout in oak barrels. Rich, dark and intensely flavourful, it is a beer known for its roasted malt character and, unusually, its touch of black garlic.
Once the stout was emptied, we filled the barrels with our 10-year-old American Oak whisky. The barrels were rolled into the vault, other projects took over and, somewhere along the way, we simply forgot about them.
Two years later, we pulled a sample.
The whisky had transformed into something remarkably creamy, silky and beautifully rounded, with layers of chocolate, roasted malt, vanilla and gentle oak. And, for anyone wondering, not even the faintest hint of garlic.
It tasted so complete that we made the rare decision to leave it entirely alone.
No dilution. No tinkering. Bottled directly from the cask at 58.5% ABV.
Introducing McHenry 12 Year Old Stout Finished American Oak Whisky, released exclusively for Whisky Week 2026.
With just 118 bottles available, this is one of the smallest whisky releases we have ever produced and our first cask-strength release.
Available only during Whisky Week and from the McHenry Cellar Door. Once these bottles are gone, the story ends there.