Holly Creek a Siem Reap based distillery has launched the first ever real Cambodian whisky, yes we are thoroughly excluding Khmer Whisky, which is cheap moonshine. And the great news is the whisky is good, very good!
To read about Khmer Whisky click here.
Holly Creek
We discovered Holly Creek whilst exploring the Siem Reap farmers market. A great affair in general, but when we saw free booze being offered we obviously jumped at said opportunity.
I’m not gonna lie, after experiencing Khmer Whisky we were not expecting much, but got offered the finished product, as well as the clear white moonshine liquor, which was allegedly 70% proof. I’ll start with the moonshine! Honestly the smoothest super strength liquor I’ve ever tried, early signs were good.
Holly Creek Whisky Cambodia
The whisky itself was also surprisingly smooth, with the packaging and indeed taste being comparable to Jack Daniels. Something that was clearly not an accident. Also unlike North Korean whisky which has been modelled on Johnny Walker, this Cambodian whisky tastes very good.
To read more about North Korea whisky click here.
Touring Holly Creek Distillery in Siem Reap
Whilst not officially open to tourists the friendly owner invited us along, which made me glad I had a genuine whisky expert with me.
How do they make Holly Creek Whisky?
This is where my expert friend got to chine in, as did the creator of the brew. The similarities in taste with Jack Daniels were not accidental. Holly Creek makes whisky, or rather we should be saying whiskey the Jack Daniels way. This means it could be described as a straight bourbon style whiskey. Much like Jack they use corn, as well as using copper stills and charcoal. Holly Creek Whiskey Cambodia has gone all out to be as professional as Jack Daniels, even using the same square shaped bottles. The taste also bears similarities, but is truly unique.
It’s not yet readily available, but as time goes by expect Holly Creek Whiskey to not only become popular among the Khmer, but also to start winning awards.
Goodbye Khmer Whisky! Hello Holly Creek!