Based in the small town of Riverhead, northwest of Auckland, Thomson Whisky focuses on making single malt whiskies with New Zealand-grown ingredients. This includes their Manuka Smoked expression, which is made with 100% malted barley harvested from South Island. The barley is smoked with wood from the Manuka tree, native to the country.

After being distilled in a hand-beaten copper pot still, the whisky is aged in ex-bourbon and new French oak casks. The name "progress report" is in reference to the whisky being taken from the casks at its youth. Non-chill-filtered without added color, it is bottled at 46% ABV.