The World’s Most Exciting New Whisky-Making Countries

Scotland and the USA are the undisputed leaders of the global whisky industry in terms of both sales and volume. But outside of these key regions, the whisky world is in rude health. Historic whisky-producing countries are welcoming new and exciting producers and others with no tradition of whisky making are bringing their first distilleries online.

There’s never been a better time to explore the breadth of the global whisky scene, whether you’re an expert or just starting your journey. Here are five regions we’re flying the flag for right now.

Ireland

Ireland is hardly an up-and-coming player in the world of whisky, given it has a legitimate claim to have been distilling longer than Scotland. But in addition to its rich history, this is a country whose contemporary whiskey industry is full of exciting new distilleries producing a range of styles including the quintessentially Irish single pot still whiskey. Our pick for Ireland is Boann, a family-owned distillery set up in the Boyne Valley, whose hugely characterful single pot still whiskies come to life in a range of fortified wine cask finishes, from Madeira to Marsala and more.

Boann Distillery

In an effort to connect with the forgotten history of Irish distilling, the team at Boann draw inspiration from historic recipes for pot still whiskey and continue to experiment with different combinations of malted and un-malted grains. A fascinating distillery and definitely one to watch.

Read our guide to Irish whiskey here

England

When the first modern whisky distillery in England launched in 2008, it marked the return of whisky making to the country after more than a century of absence. Since then, the English whisky industry has exploded, bringing us a number of different styles including Scotch-adjacent single malts, rye whiskies, grain whiskies and many others besides. Spirit of Yorkshire distillery sits somewhere in the middle of traditional and boundary pushing. Launched by a barley-farming family on the Yorkshire coast in 2016, it sources its wash from the family’s nearby Wold Top Brewery, and distils Filey Bay single malts using a hybrid pot and column still that wouldn’t be allowed in Scotland. The distillery’s IPA Finish expression is made with barley grown on the family farm and aged in Wold Top’s Scarborough Fair IPA casks. It's a great representation of Spirit of Yorkshire’s whole ecosystem in one dram.

Read our guide to English whisky here

Japan

Japan’s whisky industry now counts more than a century of heritage, so it’s not a newcomer when it comes to distilling and blending. However, the much-talked-about new wave of Japanese distilling – which arguably began with cult favourite Chichibu – is bringing new drinkers along for the ride. One of the key players is Kanosuke, a distillery in Kagoshima born from founder Komasa Jyozo and his family’s history in shochu production, specifically the hallowed Mellow Kozuru.

Kanosuke

Kanosuke produces an eclectic array of whiskies, from single malts to blends and even the Hioki Pot Still expression distilled at sister distillery Hioki that’s analogous to an Irish pot still whiskey. Lightly peated and full of character, these are robust but refined, and a great example of what’s so exciting in Japanese whisky right now.

Read our guide to Japanese whisky here

South Korea

Korea is front and centre of pop culture, but with it being a novice in the world of whisky, we were eager to taste its first single malts. The country now has two distilleries online: Three Societies, which produces Ki One in Namyangju; and Kimchangsoo. Both are located just outside Seoul, and each has won fans in Korea and around the world with its first releases. Kimchangsoo is known for its old-school, lightly peated whiskies – dare we say, a little reminiscent of some of Campbeltown’s finest – while Ki One’s use of new American oak, combined with Korea’s tropical climate, has resulted in vibrant single malts with a rich character that belies their young age. Its trio of Eagle, Unicorn and Tiger Editions shine a light on the spirit’s character through different cask maturations.

France

Given its enviable heritage, France was pretty well stocked in the world of drinks a fair while before a modern whisky renaissance took place in the country. But given France is a voracious consumer of Scotch whisky, it makes sense for its own nascent whisky industry to be picking up steam. You’ll find old and new whisky producers alike across France, but for a place to start, check out Hautes Glaces, a deeply experimental alpine producer focused on sustainability and sense of place. The concept of terroir, borrowed from wine, can be a little confusing in spirits production, but given Hautes Glaces' commitment to foregrounding raw materials, from barley to single-field spelt, it’s more than merited here.