The World’s First Antarctic Whisky Is Here — How Did the Extreme Conditions Affect It?

On Friday, the world’s first whisky matured in Antarctica was unveiled, a joint effort between Cask World founder Daniel Monk and Argentina’s La Alazana Distillery. The single malt, named Isla Marambio, was bottled this week at La Alazana in Chubut Province after spending three years maturing under Antarctic conditions.

The 8-year-old whisky is part of Cask World’s 8 Continent Series, a collection that aims to include whiskies matured on every continent when it launches in 2026.

Whisky Aged at the Edge of the World

Isla Marambio began its life in Patagonia, distilled and matured for five years in new oak casks before being transferred into ex-bourbon casks and shipped to Base Marambio, an Argentine research station on Seymour Island. The whisky spent three years there, housed in an uninsulated hut where temperatures ranged from -35°C to 10°C.

The casks developed frost on their exteriors, a sign of the intense conditions that shaped the whisky’s maturation. After three years, they were flown back to Argentina for bottling.

Distillers Note Unexpected Aromas

Lila Serenelli, co-founder and distiller at La Alazana, said she noticed differences during bottling.

“We already know it’s different. When I was decanting it there was a very special floral note that is not so strong in our whisky usually,” Serenelli said. “There’s something that I think has happened… although there are temperature variations, the mid temperatures tend to be under zero. This movement allows extraction and oxidation, but holds the ethanol in, and reduces evaporation.”

She added that visiting Antarctica to see where the whisky matured left a strong impression.

“It’s very cold, very far, extremely vast and it’s so far away that it’s shocking,” she said. “When I was standing there, staring at the frozen sea, I just got this aching in my heart that pulled tears from my eyes and I just knew that our whisky spent three whole years there and that was just it.”

A Global Collaboration

Cask World founder Daniel Monk described the project as a milestone in whisky exploration.

“It made perfect sense to work on this project with Néstor and Lila Serenelli in Patagonia,” Monk said. “They’re pioneers who, like me, believe in doing something that’s never been done before.”

Monk said the Antarctic experiment symbolizes endurance and connection, values that also define the larger 8 Continent Series, which includes whiskies from India, South Africa, Brazil, Canada and Wales.

“Together we made history by sending casks of La Alazana whisky to Base Marambio, where they were matured on the Antarctic continent,” he said. “Antarctica isn’t just a frontier — it’s a symbol of purity, endurance, and balance.”

The project was carried out with the support of the Argentine Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces, which transported the casks aboard a Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft between Buenos Aires, Río Gallegos, and Base Marambio.

Project Timeline

April 2022: Concept proposed by Monk to La Alazana founders Lila and Néstor Serenelli.

November 2022: Two casks transported to Base Marambio, Antarctica.

2022-2025: Three years of maturation under Antarctic conditions.

October 2025: Whisky returned to Argentina for bottling.

2026: Global release of the 8-year-old Isla Marambio whisky.

About Cask World and La Alazana

Cask World focuses on international whisky collaborations and was behind The Intrepid, the world’s largest whisky bottle.

La Alazana Distillery, run by Lila and Néstor Serenelli, produces small-batch single malts in Patagonia’s cold, dry climate — a region increasingly recognized for new-world whisky innovation.