Whisky guides

What is new make spirit?

New make spirit isn't whisky. So what's this doing in a whisky guide? We explain this and more, from how important it is to the final flavour of whisky to why you need to try it in a Bloody Mary, below.

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What is new make

Why is it important?

How to drink new make

Build your own

Author:

Adam O'Connell

Reading time: 5 minutes

New make spirit is something whisky fans are increasingly fascinated with and this handy little guide should help both those who want to learn more and those who would like to know what the hell it even is.

What is new make spirit?

Simply put, new make spirit is unaged whisky. Pre-whisky, if you will.

New make spirit is the liquid that comes off the still after distillation and the alcohol that is matured in barrels. New make whisky runs off the still completely clear, it’s the casks that provide colour (most of it anyway, depending on where the whisky is made a certain amount of artificial colour can be added). It’s also very punchy, typically above 70% ABV. Maturation and dilution bring whisky down the bottling strengths you’ll be more familiar with.

This spirit is obviously made wherever anybody makes whisky, so whether it’s Australian single malt or German rye whisky you’re creating, new make spirit will be part of the production process.

The moniker 'new make', however, is most commonly associated with Scotch whisky. In America, it’s typically referred to as white dog, or even hooch, white lightning, or moonshine. Essentially moonshine is unaged whiskey, although it’s often more complex than that. The same can be said about the Irish poitín, which bears a lot of resemblance to new make.

This clear spirit will soon be whisky

What makes new make spirit important?

Despite its fascinating history and heaps of character, for a long time, new make spirit has been unrecognised and unappreciated. That’s all changing, however.

Yes, it’s rough and ready, needing maturation to smooth out its coarser edges. But there's a lot to love about new make spirit.

Firstly, it's the closest thing we have to whisky DNA. Something we love about whisky is the way it reflects where it’s from and how it’s made. Single malt made at Talisker Distillery is unmistakable from there, due to its unique Isle of Skye location and a series of production methods that aren’t mirrored anywhere else, from still shape, fermentation process, how the whisky is condensed (worm tubs in Talisker’s case) and many more reasons.

All of the above is reflected in the new make spirit. Maturation, of course, has a huge effect on whisky’s flavour. But if you were to taste Talisker whisky's new make compared to Isle of Syke neighbour Torabhaig, you would notice a world of difference. The flavours and personality that can be imparted to a whisky pre-ageing is now acknowledged as a hugely important part of the whisky-making process.

The recent boom of smaller, often termed ‘craft’ distilleries has led to a wave of experimental and curious whisky makers playing with grain and yeast strains, fermentation length, and more in order to create as much character as possible before the spirit is put into cask. Because of this, new make is being recognised as a signature spirit. Without wanting to sound like Spongebob Squarepants, tasting new make is like getting a window into a distillery’s soul.

New make spirit being tested at a distillery

In recent years the appreciation of the importance of new make has increased

How to drink new make spirit

The increased appreciation of new make has also influenced the whisky market. As distilleries wait for whisky to age, releasing new make gives them an opportunity to make money while also providing a sneak peek as to what we can expect from their spirit. Why tell people what they can expect to taste when you can just show them instead?

I recall tasting Bimber’s new make some years ago and being impressed by the rich array of dark fruit flavours it was already presenting. The Artful Dodger was obviously impressed too, because it bottled it up. An independent bottling of new make spirit certainly felt like a watershed moment.

For most established whisky distilleries (especially Scotch whisky distilleries) demand for the actual whisky is such that we'll likely never see new make released. But from newer distilleries, it’s all the rage and we even have a whole category on our website now for new make, boasting spirit from the likes of Strathearn and Holyrood. Then there are products like the first release from Lindores Abbey, an Aqua Vitae made using new make, as well as Nc'nean’s more ginspired Botanical Spirit.

How you should drink new make spirits depends on you. Ask yourself, how do you drink whisky? You can taste them neat to really appreciate the intricacies of the spirit, or enjoy them on the rocks or with a dash of water. Bars like Sexy Fish have stocked new make cocktails before and it makes a fantastic substitute for pisco in a Pisco Sour or vodka in a Bloody Mary. The funkier new makes are also great for Tiki drinks and you can also never go wrong with a Highball.

We hope you found our guide on new make helpful and, if you haven’t before, now feel inspired to start sampling the spirit when the opportunity arises. This author actually even has his own collection. If you feel like starting one yourself, we've got some recommendations below.