Whisky, off the map.

United States · Kentucky · since 1936 (Willett Distillery); family distilling in Willett Distillery

Bardstown, Kentucky — the de facto capital of bourbon — is the Willett base, where Thompson Willett set up the distillery in 1936. The family's distilling history in Kentucky traces back to 1792, when William Willett Jr. moved from Maryland. Brands launched include Old Bardstown Bourbon (1940s), Johnny Drum (1960s), and the Small Batch Boutique Collection of the 1990s — Rowan's Creek, Noah's Mill, Kentucky Vintage, Pure Kentucky.

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France · Burgundy · since 1978 Michel Couvreur

Natural-spring tunnels of an old Burgundian wine cellar at Bouze-les-Beaune do the maturation. Michel Couvreur was a Belgian independent whisky bottler who set up his operation there in 1978, ageing single-malt Scotch sourced from Scottish distilleries. His philosophy was that 90% of a whisky's quality comes from the barrel, and his preference was for ex-sherry casks (particularly PX) over the bourbon-cask Scottish norm.

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France · Landes · since 1987 Jean Boyer

Two parallel businesses under one name. From 1987 Jean Boyer was the first independent Scotch whisky bottler in France, sourcing single-cask malt from Speyside, the Highlands and Islay and bottling at Saint-Geours-de-Maremne in the Landes. From 1990 he added an artisan pastis range made at Domaine des Restanques in Provence, distilling botanicals in old copper stills and macerating up to 30 herbs and spices into a wine-spirit base.

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Japan · Hiroshima · since 1918 Chugoku Jozo (Togouchi)

Aged in a disused railway tunnel near the former town of Togouchi, where temperature and humidity sit close to ideal whisky-aging conditions year-round. Chugoku Jozo was founded in 1918 in Hatsukaichi on the Hiroshima coast and blends the Togouchi range in Japan from imported malt and grain stocks.

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Australia · Victoria · since 1999 Bakery Hill

Former chemistry teacher David Baker founded Bakery Hill in 1999. The Melbourne single-malt distillery is family-run and produces small-batch Australian single malt at a converted site on Macaulay Road in North Melbourne.

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Japan · Hiroshima · since 2018 Sakurao

Distilled, matured and bottled at Hatsukaichi on Hiroshima's coast, looking across the Seto Inland Sea to Itsukushima Island. Sakurao is the in-house single malt programme of Chugoku Jozo (now Sakurao Brewery & Distillery), launched in 2018.

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Switzerland · Appenzell · since 1886 Säntis

Whisky matured in former beer casks, including small barrels from the brewery's own ageing programme dating back several decades. Santis Malt is the whisky line from Brauerei Locher in Appenzell, Switzerland — a brewery that has operated since 1886.

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United States · Oregon · since 2004 Westward

Twice-distilled in copper pot stills, matured in new American oak. Westward is an American Single Malt distillery in Portland, Oregon, set up in 2004 by brewer-turned-distiller Christian Krogstad and Thomas Mooney.

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