Thunderdonk

Thunderdonk is produced by the Scapegrace Distillery, which was co-founded in New Zealand in 2014 by Daniel McLaughlin and Mark Neal. Originally based in a small office in Auckland, the business has grown to the point where the largest distillery in the country opened on a 36-hectare facility in Central Otago in late-2024.

While Scapegrace produce gin, vodka and other spirits, single malt whisky is a key part of the portfolio and this is used as the base of a new brand which aims to crack into the rapidly expanding flavoured whiskies market. While it's still relatively niche in the UK it's massively popular in the USA and you can find flavours of almost any type. But the majority tend to be overly sweet or incredibly artificial - which does mean that those releases that get the balance right and actually taste like what they claim on the label stand out even more.

I will always have reservations about a flavoured whisky until I actually get to try it - and I was so pleased to find that the first two Thunderdonk releases - despite the silly name (which apparently doesn't really have any reference and just sounds fun) and the unserious marketing - are genuinely enjoyable.

The Salted Caramel is exactly as you would expect - sweet runny caramel and soft vanilla with a hint of salinity on the finish. While it doesn't quite have the point of difference that the Spiced Maple has, it still has a good balance of sweet notes without becoming cloying. I'd recommend keeping the bottle in the fridge - chilling does knock down the sugary edge - and it's great fun trying in a variety of Old Fashioned combinations. Don't knock it 'til you've tried it!