Award-winning New Zealand flavoured whisky ThunderDonk has finally launched in the Australian market.

Produced by Scapegrace Distilling Co., the Salted Caramel expression is available in-store and online, with strong early sell-through across more than 110 Dan Murphy’s locations since hitting shelves.

The brand takes its name from the sound a shot glass makes when it hits the bar. The flavour profile – rich caramel, sea salt, soft vanilla finish – is designed to appeal to whisky drinkers as much as flavoured spirit consumers, expanding the category’s reach rather than cannibalising existing whisky sales.

ThunderDonk recently won a Gold medal at the World Drink Awards 2026, with its Australian launch arriving at a significant moment for the category — flavoured whisky is projected to nearly double to $US19 billion by 2032 globally.

Unlike most flavoured whiskies, which are built on young or neutral spirit, ThunderDonk Salted Caramel starts with aged New Zealand single malt, distilled at Scapegrace’s purpose-built distillery on the banks of Lake Dunstan in Central Otago.

The product spent 18 months in development at Scapegrace, New Zealand’s largest independent spirits company, whose gin and single malt whisky portfolio has earned consistent international recognition across more than 43 markets. 

“Most flavoured whiskies have a problem: somewhere between the barrel and the bottle, the whisky disappears. We built this to fix that,” said Daniel McLaughlin, Co-Founder of Scapegrace Distilling Co.

“Aussies get that instinctively – they are a nation that takes their drink seriously but knows how to have a good time doing it. Bringing ThunderDonk here wasn’t a question of if, it was when.”

ThunderDonk Salted Caramel (700ml, RRP $59.99) is available nationwide at Dan Murphy’s and select independent retailers.