WHISKY FOR THE adventurous

1919 Distilling began in 2017 with a simple idea: to craft a whisky that captures the spirit of Aotearoa—its people, its history, and its oceans. While sailing abroad, our founder Soren Crabb saw that New Zealand’s whisky landscape was still young, with few embracing traditional methods. Inspired by this gap and the country’s rich maritime past, he set out to create something new—bold, robust, and unmistakably Kiwi.

We honour tradition, but we don’t stand still. Our whisky is aged at sea, its character shaped by the rhythm of the tides and the salt in the air. It’s a living reflection of movement, of place, of story.

At 1919, we believe whisky isn't just something we make—it's something we explore. Each bottle is a step forward on a journey that continues to evolve, charting a new course for New Zealand spirits with every pour.

 

A Review by Dave Broom

“Two cask samples follow. One from December 2021 has a little char note, some grass, hazelnut/vanilla and a mix of fruits and peanut brittle on the end. The second, from a month later, shares the vanilla notes but this time there’s a more vinous quality to the (still sweet) palate as will as greater spice, mint, green apples and, in maybe a hint of what’s to come, a tiny touch of red fruits. Again, it’s great distilling.

He looks around. ‘It’s where I am from.’ The sailor. Home from the sea.” Dave Broom - Whisky Write & Author 2023

 
 

An Odyssey in Oak - Cask 1

Cask 1 of The Ocean Voyage Experiment: An Odyssey in Oak marks the beginning of a bold new chapter in New Zealand whisky history. This is the inaugural cask aged entirely at sea — aboard a sailing yacht that journeyed along Aotearoa’s diverse coastlines, from the calm bays of the North to the wild swells of the South.

As the vessel rode ocean currents and shifting weather, so too did the whisky inside.

Continuous motion, temperature fluctuations, and exposure to salt-laden air accelerated maturation in ways traditional warehousing never could. The result is a spirit with extraordinary depth, rich oak integration, and flavour complexity far beyond its age.

Crafted from 100% NZ barley and scientifically validated by Affinity Labs, Cask 1 carries the fingerprint of its voyage — a liquid time capsule born of oak, sea, and adventure.

Every bottle from Cask 1 is traceable to the original maritime route, making it a true collector’s release and a world-first from New Zealand’s shores.

 

Innovation Backed by SCIENCE

Metric                       Pre-Sea (mg/L)                   Post-Sea (mg/L)            % Change                        

Acetaldehyde                       47                            37                                   -21.3%                             

Ethyl acetate                        417                            366                                -12.2%                             

Acetal                                   112                            101                                  -9.8%                              

t-Butanol                              15                              0 (undetected)               -100%                            

1-Propanol                            518                           536                                +3.5%                             

Isobutanol                            963                           970                                +0.7%                             

2-Methyl-1-butanol               488                           549                                +12.5%                           

3-Methyl-1-butanol              1427                            1479                              +3.6%                            

*Lab analysis after 3 months at sea by Affinity Labs