New Dawn Distilling
Expressions of Grain, Place, and Time
Every New Dawn whiskey begins with local, organic New York grains and ends with Dawn's palate. Each selection is personally chosen for its rich, robust, and complex character, aged in #3-char Kelvin Cooperage barrels through two years of Caribbean-level heat before resting in an upstate New York rickhouse. Then it's bottled small-batch at cask strength, additive-free, so nothing stands between you and what the grain, the barrel, and time created.
NY 6-Year Old Bourbon
Opens with apricot, anise, and chamomile before settling into a velvet palate of cherry, almond, and croissant. Smooth, balanced, and endlessly versatile, it's crafted to delight connoisseurs, newcomers, and cocktail lovers alike.
NY 10-Year Old Wheated Whiskey
The deeper journey. Its smooth, warming profile layers ginger, orange, apricot, and subtle notes of rosemary and clove for a sexy, sophisticated pour that's effortlessly approachable neat or on the rocks.
Recognition
Awards
L.A. Spirits Awards Platinum 2025
Our NY 6-Year Old Bourbon captured Platinum at the 2025 L.A. Spirits Awards, the highest honor, marking it as a whiskey that achieved near-perfect scores for craftsmanship, flavor clarity, and finish among expert judges.
L.A. Spirits Awards Silver 2025
Our NY 10-Year Old Wheated Whiskey earned Silver at the 2025 L.A. Spirits Awards, recognized for its elegant balance, warm spice notes, and refined depth in a competitive field of leading American craft whiskeys.
F&B Magazine Editor's Top Pick 2025
Editors at F&B Magazine selected our NY 6-Year Old Bourbon as a Top Pick for 2025, praising its layered caramel and spice notes, standout design, and inspiring story as a Black woman-owned brand redefining modern craft whiskey.
USA Spirits Ratings Silver 2024
Our NY 6-Year Old Bourbon was awarded Silver at the 2024 USA Spirits Ratings, judged by retail and trade experts for its exceptional quality, value, and packaging, affirming its strength both on-shelf and in the glass.
SIP Awards Gold 2025
Our NY 6-Year Old Bourbon earned a Gold Medal at the 2025 SIP Awards, a globally recognized, consumer-judged competition, honoring its standout balance of aroma, flavor, and finish as one of the top whiskeys tasted blind by real consumers.
SIP Awards Silver 2025
Our NY 10-Year Old Wheated Whiskey received a Silver Medal from the SIP Awards 2025, distinguishing it among the best craft spirits for its smooth profile and complexity as rated by an international panel of everyday whiskey drinkers.
SIP Awards Innovation Award 2025
The SIP Awards Innovation Award recognized New Dawn for its creative approach to grain sourcing and flavor expression, celebrating its use of small-batch local grains and cask-strength aging as a bold innovation in American whiskey.
About Us
"Inspired by my father's love for bourbon, I created a premium craft whiskey brand focused on quality, authenticity, and eco-conscious practices."
Dawn O'Neal, PhD · Founder
New Dawn was born from a family where flavor runs deep. Founder Dr. Dawn O'Neal comes from a long line of chefs and supertasters, people with an extraordinary sensitivity to taste and balance. From her grandfather's Southern kitchen to her father's whiskey cabinet, she grew up surrounded by the art of flavor: how to build it, how to respect it, and how to recognize when something is truly exceptional.
Those lessons shaped her craft, and every bottle of New Dawn reflects that lineage: a whiskey defined by its rich, robust, and complex character. It's small-batch, cask strength, and uncompromisingly premium, created by someone who doesn't just make whiskey but understands it on a cellular level.
For Dawn, whiskey is about honoring the senses that built it. Each sip carries generations of refinement, intuition, and Southern soul. There is no taste like this.
Get the Ecologist's Guide to Cellular Tasting to truly experience uncompromising excellence.
New Dawn: Distilled from a Legacy of Taste
Our Story
The Blog
Spirit(ual) Musings
We also prioritize efficiency throughout our supply chain, minimizing waste, and promoting sustainable agriculture and renewable energy. Plus 1% of proceeds are dedicated to climate and clean water initiatives. Learn more about our company ethos on the blog.
Spirit(ual) Musings
In Their Words
Recognized by Industry Experts
"I love this nose. This nose is extremely elegant, deep, robust, rich, and sweet... This is an amazing bottle of whiskey. And for it to be batch 1. Oh my goodness!"MarcusBourbon Judge
"...Lots of cherry fruit, a little bit of sarsaparilla on the nose for me. On the palate that fruit comes through even more... it's a really great mouthfeel, and I think part of that is because it's aged in New York. You've got those really cold winters, really hot summers, you're pulling a lot of extractives and you get a lot of beautiful flavor."Tracie FranklinSpirited Tracie
"Caramel, chocolate, oh wow! That is rich! Ooh wee! Okay you can tell the bottle is clear but looking down here you're like, wow it's so dark!"Crystal and RogerThe Liquor Connoisseur
"I am told that I can be a harsh critic when it comes to whiskey, which means when I approve of one IT MUST BE DAMN GOOD! This whiskey checks all the boxes we want to see in the industry: minority owned, women owned, well aged, transparent sourcing, balanced and perfect cask."Jack BeguedouHood Sommelier