New Zealand single malt whisky producer Pōkeno has secured an impressive medal haul - including two Double Gold medals - at the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Awards.

It was the only New Zealand whisky distillery to win Double Gold in the 2024 event.

The highly coveted Double Golds, which are only given to spirits that unanimously receive gold medals from all judges in a blind tasting, were awarded to the Triple Distilled and Winter Malt expressions from Pōkeno’s special edition Exploration Series.

The third expression of this series, the Totara Cask, which is the first single malt whisky ever to be matured in a Totara wood barrel, received a Silver medal and two of Pōkeno’s signature single malts, Origin and Discovery, were also recognised with Gold and Silver medals respectively.

Pōkeno founder Matt Johns says the recognition not only places the whiskies among the world’s elite, but also endorses the distillery’s “discover different” philosophy that drives them to experiment and push boundaries.

“We developed our Exploration Series as a showcase of our innovation and creativity, and so to receive two Double Golds and a Silver is a fantastic reward. The World Spirit Awards’ recognition helps us stand out against other fantastic whiskies from around the globe and continues to give us credibility when it comes to distributing internationally.”

“New Zealand’s growing participation in the New World whisky movement can be seen in the number of distilleries being built here and the quality of single malts being produced. For us, it’s great to play a lead role and represent New Zealand and New World whisky on the global stage.”

The medal haul in San Francisco follows Category Winner, and Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards at the 2024 World Whiskies Awards, and a coveted Liquid Gold Award in Jim Murray’s 20th annual Whisky Bible.