Waikato distillery The Pōkeno Whisky Company has been selected for an international study into how different climates shape the maturation, chemistry and taste of whisky.

The study, titled Climate-Driven Maturation Signatures in Global Whisky: A Comparative Multi-Continental Chemical and Sensory Study, examines whiskies from The 8 Continent Series - including one matured in Antarctica. 

Pōkeno Whisky co-founder Matt Johns says the company uses New Zealand-grown ingredients - and the conditions where the barley grows are unique. 

"We get a very sweet raw material, compared to other countries. And we've got the pure spring water, our water is very rich in iron manganese - that's really going to help the fruitiness of a whisky." 

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