What does Australian whisky taste like? One of the biggest problems for the Australian whisky industry – actually, it’s not a problem, it’s simply a mistake – is that a lot of people try to pigeonhole Australian whisky with a crude, base descriptor. To be fair, other whisky categories have the same problem: According to “the rules”, Scotch whisky is peaty; Irish whiskey is light; American whiskey is sweet; Japanese whisky is expensive, etc, etc. You get the idea.
Of course, such generalisations and stereotypes can often be wide of the mark, but the reality is that both consumers and marketers rely on such pigeonholes, and once these things stick, they become incredibly hard to shift.
So how do you describe Australian whisky? What does Australian whisky taste like? What’s a one-size-fits-all, catch-all statement that’s vaguely applicable? I’ll answer that in just a moment, but first some preceding comments to soften the blow…
From the earliest days of the internet, whisky “interest groups” formed and started having dialogues. In the old days of bulletin boards, chat rooms and lists, whisky groups were established, gathering even more weight, size and momentum once forums facilitated better user experiences and capabilities. In fact, whisky forums became their own little worlds, far outgrowing the little communities they started out as.
Most whisky enthusiasts around the globe have heard of the dramas and dilemmas taking place in British Columbia, Canada, where the government conducted a raid on a whisky bar and confiscated over 240 bottles of single malt whisky. It’s time to free the whisky.
Once upon a time if you wanted a good night out with whisky and food, you were obliged to hit up two separate venues. You’d head to a restaurant for a quality feed, then migrate to a specialist whisky bar for some memorable drams. Happily, there are venues around these days that can readily do both – and do both well. Mjolner is one such destination. There’s a Mjolner in both Sydney and Melbourne now, but for this little piece, we’ll focus on the Sydney venue.
Part of the Speakeasy Group (well known for its bars like Eau-de-Vie and Boilermaker House), Mjolner is on Cleveland Street in Surry Hills/Redfern – just a block from the sector made famous for all its Lebanese restaurants, and a short walk from Central Station. In keeping with many bar trends these days, there’s no street presence or signage, and access is via a small, unremarkable door. However, walk through the door and you descend down into a dark dungeon of drinks, drams, décor, and decadence.
Mjolner is a themed venue, and it’s Viking all the way. (For the uninitiated, Mjolner is the name of Thor’s hammer). A Nordic-inspired food menu, Norse mythology, and Viking furnishings and decorations ooze out of every nook and cranny.
Whilst the bar has an impressive array of staples, cocktails, and curios, it’s the whiskies that you come for. And there’s some genuine attractions that are worth crossing town for. (A Macallan 18yo 1979 Gran Reserva – one of the greatest Macallans from its glory years – being a good example, albeit at $500 for a dram!) Very shortly, the Speakeasy Group venues will each be launching new customised apps that make researching and ordering your whisky an incredibly immersive experience – W&W had a sneak peek at the Mjolner app, and they’ve pulled off the kind of functionality and features that we were all dreaming of five years ago.
Unsure about cutlery etiquette? Just choose your weapon. (Image courtesy of venue)
Adjourning to the dining tables, don’t come without your appetite – when they say Viking feast, the emphasis is on feast. You won’t leave hungry. As part of the theatre, you’ll be required to “choose your weapon” for your meal, selecting your knife from a leather roll of assorted blades. The entrées, mains and sides are all mouthwatering, tasty, and well-presented. Beast, fowl, seafood, or veg, there’s something for everyone, but it’s a menu that’s better suited to larger groups of four or more and sharing the dishes. The food, whilst delicious and plentiful, is admittedly not cheap.
The pork was a highlight.
There’s something for pescatarians.
The meats are succulent and mouthwatering. (Image courtesy of the venue)
The roasted marrow is worth crossing town for. (Image courtesy of the venue)
Given the Viking theme, it’s no surprise that the venue has partnered heavily with Highland Park, and there’s a good range of Orkney malts to choose from. Most impressively, the venue recently concocted its own bespoke bottling of Mjolner Highland Park. Taken from a mix of 1st-fill and refill sherry casks (both European and American oak), it resulted in 1,731 bottles of Mjolner-labelled 14yo at 56.5%. Presented to you in its own Viking longboat, it’s a Highland Park that has a lot more going for it than the bulk of the core-range expressions available at the moment: A good infusion of that classic, heather-honey peat; a good dose of sherry; some spicy and herbal malt; and all delivered at a worthy ABV.
Presented to you in its own Viking longboat, the Mjolner Highland Park is a genuinely good whisky.
For more on Highland Park and its current range of Viking-inspired whiskies, you can read Whisky & Wisdom’s feature piece, Highland Park – the Vikings are coming.
The bar at Mjolner is the work of Alex Dahlenburg (including the bespoke bottling), and she’s excelled herself with the concept, the stock, and the delivery. Little surprise that she was suitably recognised at the recent Australian Icons of Whisky 2020 awards, picking up Bartender of the Year – followed shortly afterwards with Bar Manager of the Year at the Australian Liquor Industry Awards. Never one to rest on her laurels, there’s another role for her in the pipeline, but we’ll save that news for the public unveiling.
In the meantime, for those wanting a whisky bar that’s on the fringe of the CBD rather than in the hustle-and-bustle of it all, Mjolner is worth a visit. May Odin reward your tastebuds accordingly.
You’ve probably been part of an online whisky forum or a Facebook whisky group when the conversation suddenly turned south and things got ugly. Whisky people are generally all a great and friendly bunch but, occasionally, it doesn’t take much to trigger some keyboard warriors and to bring out their dark side. Accordingly, here’s a list of rules, tips, and pointers on how to get along and play nicely in an online whisky group…
Like whisky? Like skiing or snowboarding? Travelling to Whistler anytime soon? Here’s your helpful and comprehensive Whistler travel guide for combining whisky and Whistler, as well as a whisky guide book for skiers transiting through Vancouver…
(If you’re an Australian reader, there’s a slightly different version of this article written specifically for Aussie skiers which you can read here. If you’re from anywhere else in the world, read on…)
Whilst planning your skiing holiday to Canada, any whisky lover who heads overseas always has the same questions: Where are the best whisky bars? Is there a distillery I can visit? What are the best local whiskies?
So, with all that to set the scene, this article is specifically aimed at that small niche of people who (i) love skiing; (ii) love whisky, and (iii) are heading to Whistler!
Like whisky? Like skiing or snowboarding? Travelling to Whistler anytime soon? Here’s your helpful and comprehensive Whistler travel guide for combining whisky and Whistler, as well as a whisky guide book for skiers heading through Vancouver…
(This version of the article is adapted specifically for Australian readers. If you’re from elsewhere around the planet, read the international version here).
If you’re a keen Australian skier or snowboarder, it won’t be too long until the constraints and limitations of the Australian snow fields catch up with you and the lure of the overseas skiing resorts beckons. Some head to New Zealand; an increasing number are heading to Japan, but it seems the vast majority of Aussie skiers head to Whistler, Canada. Indeed, so many Aussies work the ski resort over the winter, the place is affectionately known as Whistralia.
At the same time, any whisky lover who heads overseas always has the same questions: Where are the best whisky bars? Is there a distillery I can visit? What are the best local whiskies?
So, with all that to set the scene, this article is specifically aimed at that small niche of people who (i) love skiing; (ii) love whisky, and (iii) are heading to Whistler!
Whisky flipping. It’s the ultimate physical response to that vexatious question, “How much is this whisky worth?” Nevertheless, the answer to the question is pretty simple: A whisky is worth whatever someone is prepared to pay for it.
One of the most contentious and ire-inducing phenomena to appear in whisky circles in the last 15 years has been the rise of the whisky flipper. Not familiar with the term? It’s applied to someone who obtains a whisky at retail price (typically when the product is first launched or made available) and then, within a short timeframe, re-sells it on the secondary market at a significantly higher price. More often than not, the re-selling occurs once the original retailer’s or supplier’s stock is sold out, thus cashing in on a product that is no longer available through the original channels.
A bit of fun for all the distillery nerds out there, particularly the ones who like to play “Guess the distillery”.
This video features 105 Scotch whisky distilleries in 60 seconds. Can you recognise and name them all? They’re in alphabetical order, just to make it easy for you…..
For more video content by Whisky & Wisdom, you can check out our YouTube channel here.
If you like whisky trivia and want to test your whisky knowledge, you might also like our Whisky Quiz
Have you ever tried your hand at blending? Think you’ve got what it takes to come up with a delicious whisky? Would you like to be a Master Blender for a day?The Blend by Chivas is giving you that very opportunity!
Chivas ‘The Blend’ Experience is a fantastic event to not just learn a bit about Scotch whisky and the story behind one of Scotland’s most famous blends, but to also have a crack at blending and putting together your own blended Scotch. Best of all, you get to take home a 200ml bottle of your own creation at the end of the session!
Chivas ‘The Blend’ Experience is coming to four cities across Australia over the next five months and whisky drinkers are able to sign up and register for their own session. Full details on this a little lower below but, first of all, what’s involved?
