The best whisky in the world is Peruvian: Black Whisky, made with Cajamarca purple corn INIA 601 by the Don Michael distillery, is preparing its entry into new markets: Colombia and China.
Michael Kuryla, founder of the innovative Andean liquor, announced it after participating in the 3rd Fair of purple corn in the city of Cajamarca.
In an interview with Andina Agency, the entrepreneur said that his product is currently distributed in 15 countries, among them Taiwan, Australia, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Venezuela, Costa Rica, the United States, Canada, and Peru.
“In July or perhaps earlier we hope to enter Colombia, then China”, he said.
Kuryla commented that the greatest satisfaction his product has given him is the pleasure of drinking it, which is why he emphasized his visit to Cajamarca to meet with the farmers who, suddenly, now see their corn that used to go to Japan in powdered form, now turned into a successful whisky.
“For me, it is Peru’s flagship distilled spirit”, he underlined.
Don Michael has three versions of liquors, with the classic being the most preferred in the market.
The first bottle came out in November 2019, becoming the best in the world in September 2022, at the event The World's Best Whiskey according to World Spirits Competition in New York.
“We are proud because from this purple corn we can make a different whisky,” said the businessman, announcing that the next step will be to achieve the denomination of origin for his product, registering the Andean purple corn whisky INIA 601.
Kuryla recalled that his project began in 2016, and that his father and wife doubted its success.
In November 2017, he moved to Lima and began testing. “In 2018 we set up the plant and everything began. Before the pandemic we launched the product, with the pandemic it was a disaster. In 2021 we started exporting because the rest of the world was already open,” he said.
“In 2022 we won the best whisky in the world in New York and that changed everything for us, major U.S. media highlighted our product and from that point on we have grown and grown at an average of 200% per year. In the last six years we’ve secured more capital and we’re consuming around 130,000 kilograms of purple corn per year,” he emphasized.
The growth of Don Michael is not stopping; among their plans is to secure more capital, create another production line, “with that we hope to fill about 1,000 barrels per year and our consumption of purple corn would increase to 250,000 kilograms per year,” said the entrepreneur, highlighting that Cajamarca is their best supplier.
Finally, he described purple corn as a unique grain that all Peruvians know.
“For us, (purple corn) is everything. It is our main raw material. Now we have to gather more, demand is strong,” he stated, emphasizing the good relationship he has with researcher Alicia Medina, with whom he started his project.
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Published: 5/6/2025