Tag: Australian whisky

Iniquity whisky and Tin Shed Distillers

Looking for information about Iniquity whisky?  Read on…

In the busy, buzzing, and bulging world of the Australian whisky industry, it would be fair to say that the distilleries of South Australia tend to get overlooked.   At the very least, they don’t get the share of the limelight they deserve.

The reasons for this are fairly straightforward: (i) South Australia is not in Tasmania, where most punters perceive all the action to be.  (ii) The distilleries are generally small operations (with one exception), and the higher profile or “big brand” distilleries are in other states. (iii) The distillers behind the distilleries are modest folks who focus on making good whisky, rather than focusing on their social media and playing the popularity game.  (On that note, and as an aside:  I would not be the first commentator to observe that, in some cases, a whisky brand’s social media profile and volume are inversely proportional to the quality and quantity of its whisky).

The irony of this situation is the reality that, by and large, the distilleries of South Australia consistently make good whisky and are genuinely amongst the most lauded in the land.   All distilleries will generally have hits and misses over their journeys; the trick is obviously to have the ledger filled with more of the former than the latter.  One distillery that has excelled at achieving a consistent DNA; a reliable house style; and churning out a string of hits is Tin Shed Distilling Co through its Iniquity whisky label.

Continue reading “Iniquity whisky and Tin Shed Distillers”

Australian whisky’s beer loophole

Imagine you’re at home watching the Olympics, and you turn your television on just as the medal presentation ceremony is starting for the marathon.  You immediately notice there are two runners standing on the podium for 1st Place.  In an incredible outcome for the race, it turns out there was a dead heat for first, and the two front runners finished in a tie!

But here’s where things get weird:  It turns out that only one of the gold medallists actually ran the full 42 kilometres!  The other runner started at the 30km mark, and in fact only had to run the last 12km of the race.  And, to top it all off, that runner also received extra assistance along the way. 

Now that’s hardly a fair race, is it?  Clearly, the work, effort, and energy put in by the two runners was vastly different – but by virtue of crossing the finish line at the same time, they each received the same reward and recognition.

The above parable would never happen in real life and, yet, a variation of this is precisely how the Australian whisky industry operates.  Puzzled?  Here’s how it pans out…..

Continue reading “Australian whisky’s beer loophole”

23rd Street Distillery – XXIII Batch 01

23rd Street Distillery joins the growing list of distilleries established in the last 5-6 years that are now bringing their single malt to market.  23rd Street has released a small range of whiskies in the recent past with varied provenance (such as the evocative Hybrid, which was a blend of Scotch whisky and American Bourbon!) but the release of XXIII (Batch 01) heralds in a new era for their home-grown, signature style.

The site at 23rd Street Distillery – located conveniently on 23rd Street in Renmark, South Australia (about a three hour drive north-east of Adelaide) – has a long history in the drinks industry that dates back to 1914, although that was chiefly in the wine industry.  The site was acquired by Bickford’s in 2014, and a reported $6.6M (including a government grant of $2.3M) was injected into the project over two years to bring 23rd Street Distillery to life.   The distillery launched in 2016 and produces gin, vodka, rum, brandy, and whisky. 

Continue reading “23rd Street Distillery – XXIII Batch 01”

The Australian Whisky Awards, 2021

{This article is now a few years old, and discusses a unique awards program that operated as a public-vote.  You might like to read our more recent article, Whisky Awards – Who really wins?}

There’s no shortage of whisky awards programs around the world, or spirits competitions that the whisky industry features heavily in.  Some commentators assert that there’s actually too many whisky awards in the industry, whilst others point to the reality that many of the awards programs have flawed or questionable entry/judging criteria that render their outcomes dubious.  The “pay to play” schemes of many awards programs are a good example of this.

Here in Australia, we’ve had numerous spirits/whisky awards that have recognised Australian distillers/distilleries over the years, dating back as far as the early 20th century.  More recently, the Malt Whisky Society of Australia convened a very successful and well-run awards concept from 2005-2012 which awarded a “Champion Australian Whisky” from 2009 onwards, and introduced a trophy in 2010 for the highest scoring Australian whisky.  The Australian International Spirits Competition had a dedicated category for Australian whisky in 2020, and there are other local spirits competitions that recognise the whisky category.  But it’s been a while since we’ve seen a locally run awards program dedicated exclusively for the Australian whisky industry.

So with all that as backdrop, there was excitement and curiosity earlier this year when the Australian Whisky Awards were announced.  Conceived by Niko Devlin (the man behind the Australian Whisky Appreciation Society, aka the AWAS Facebook group) and Dan Woolley (Highwayman Whisky), the awards were built on the platform of being a way to recognise distillers, players, distilleries, and whiskies in the Australian whisky community, as voted by Australians, for Australians.   Whilst the idea had its genesis late last year, its announcement and activation was perhaps cemented and hastened after the debacle that was this year’s Icons of Whisky Awards for the Australian industry.

The Australian Whisky Awards were thus held on Sunday 21st of March at Luna Park’s Crystal Palace in Sydney.  The event attracted those within the industry, those in the general whisky appreciation community, and a large number of people who tuned in to the event via the livestream.  With interstate travel still a troubling prospect in the shadow of COVID, an impressive number of industry folks made their way from around the country to Sydney to attend the event.

Australian whisky awards - Niko Devlin
AWA organiser Niko Devlin welcoming attendees

So how did these awards work, and what was the judging criteria?  The system effectively unfolded in three phases:  The first phase was a nominations round, whereby anyone in the public and within the industry could nominate their personal choices for the entities they felt were deserving in each category.  Once all nominations were collated and processed, shortlists of the top 20 nominated names were created in each category for the purposes of voting.   For the second phase, anyone in the public was able to go online and vote in each category on a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place basis.  (Australian Rules Football fans will recognise the similarity to the Brownlow voting system!)  Then, in an extension of the second phase, a group of 50 industry people were selected as judges to submit their votes.  The judges’ votes were merely added to the public votes – they did not replace or trump the public votes, but were weighted to recognise industry knowledge and insights.  The judges were a mix of distillers and producers (not involved with whisky), brand ambassadors, bar trade folks, retailers, and writers.  

It is also worth mentioning that the organisers refused / declined sponsorship from any entities involved with or associated with the drinks industry – all part of the thinking to ensure the awards had full integrity and transparency.  Looking at the list of short-listed nominees and the people/entities who were subsequently announced as the winners, it’s evident that these awards truly reflected the spirit and input of the Australian whisky community as a whole, and the organisers are to be commended accordingly.  Thousands of nominations and votes were received from around the country, making it – in the words of one speech maker on the night – the whisky industry’s largest democracy.

AWA - The attendees
The evening in full flow…

Either by intention or, possibly, assumption/oversight, it was never explicitly explained whether the awards were for the Australian whisky industry, or for the Australian whisky industry.  (Did you pick the difference?)  As such, when voting for, say, “Personality of the Year”, did the nominee have to be someone involved with an Australian whisky distillery or product, or could it be, for example, a brand ambassador who works in Australia for a Scotch or bourbon brand?   Similarly, when voting for “Venue of the Year”, was it for Australia’s best whisky bar, or was it for the bar that best featured/represented Australian whiskies?   These nuances were never explained or defined by the organisers, thus resulting in a very eclectic list of nominees – yet, wonderfully, effectively bringing in a much larger field of candidates. 

A superb line-up of Australian whiskies to accompany dinner
Phil Jamieson added some live music entertainment to the evening

Notwithstanding the mechanics of the voting and the results, the live event itself was a grand affair and reflected both the enthusiasm and gravitas of a serious awards program.  Close to 200 attendees enjoyed a sensational five course meal with accompanying whiskies (Australian, of course); the awards presentations; a live performance by Phil Jamieson (of Grinspoon fame); and – for those that braved Sydney’s wet – an afterparty in several different venues. (Not bad for a Sunday night!)

Scott Fitzsimons making his introductory remarks

Scott Fitzsimons (of Oak Barrel and The Whisky Fair fame) was charged with the task of MC’ing the event, which he set about admirably and perfectly with his trademark mix of suitably-informal professionalism, humour, commentary, and insights.  Each award was announced and presented at intervals throughout the evening with the commencement of each subsequent dinner course, and the evening unfolded as follows:

 

Personality of the Year (presented by Niko Devlin):

                Copper – Dan Woolley  

                Silver – Bill Lark

                Gold – Kelvin Low

 

Distiller/Producer of the Year (presented by Alexandra Dahlenburg)

                Copper – Heather Tillott               

                Silver – Brian Hollingworth          

                Gold – Dave Withers

 

Venue of the Year (presented by Scott Fitzsimons)

                Copper – Archie Rose    

                Silver – Whisky + Alement           

                Gold – The Elysian

 

Lifetime Achievement Award and the inaugural Hall of Fame induction (presented by Dan Woolley, Kristy Lark, and Andrew Young)

                Bill Lark

 

Distillery of the Year (presented by Thalita Alves)

                Copper – Starward          

                Silver – Black Gate Distillery          

                Gold – Archie Rose

 

Australian whisky awards
The Gold, Silver, and Copper recipients of “Whisky of the Year” on stage

 

Whisky of the Year (presented by Andrew Derbidge)

                Copper – Black Gate Apera           

                Silver – Archie Rose Single Malt 

                Gold – Sullivans Cove French Oak

 

Dram of the Decade (presented by Dan Woolley)

                Copper – Archie Rose Rye Malt  

                Silver – Black Gate 520s 

                Gold – Sullivans Cove Cask HH525  (Yes, that whisky!)

– – – – – –

Australian whisky awards - Bill Lark giving his acceptance speech
Bill Lark delighting the room with an excellent acceptance speech

 

The evening had many highlights; after the year that 2020 was, simply the chance to come together as a community and celebrate was a highlight in itself!  But few would disagree that the main highlight of the night was seeing Bill Lark – together with Lyn Lark – recognised and celebrated.  And, equally a highlight, it was a privilege to hear Bill deliver a wonderful and poignant acceptance speech that told not just the story of Australian whisky in the last 30 years, but gave insight into why our industry now enjoys the successes and strengths it exhibits:  It is more than just the drink in the bottle, it is the collegiate spirit that Bill fostered and shared; it is the people behind the scenes and at the coal face; and it is the Australian spirit of having a go and giving it a decent shake.

Despite Sydney putting on some of its most miserable weather in 20 years, it was warm and suitably festive indoors, and the evening delivered on so many fronts.  I’d like to personally congratulate Niko Devlin and his assembled team for putting on one hell of a party; for bringing such a large chunk of the Australian whisky community together under the one roof; and for delivering a Whisky Awards event that can hold its head high.

Cheers,
AD

– – – – – – –

[UPDATE: You can read our write-up of the 2022 Australian Whisky Awards here.]

Want to read more about the Australian whisky industry?  Check out these other articles by Whisky & Wisdom…

Trouble brewing for the Australian whisky industry?

Visiting the distilleries of Tasmania

The pioneers of Australia’s whisky appreciation community

Australian whisky – It’s got an image problem 

Australian whisky has its Cardhu moment

Bakery Hill – the view from the top

Archie Rose Six Malt New Make – the giant stirs

Joadja Distillery

TIB – Tasmanian Independent Bottlers

The heart of Heartwood

Highwayman whisky

Highwayman – A man on a horse, carrying a gun, who holds up and robs travellers on public roads.  Highwayman Whisky – an altogether different beast, as we shall see…

The “next wave” of Australian craft distilleries is washing across the nation at present, with the last six months seeing a large number of new names bring their debut releases to the market.  Most of those distilleries have taken the “traditional” route by setting up, distilling, and waiting patiently for their spirit to mature.  Others, as Whisky & Wisdom has written about previously, have adopted the strategy of purchasing spirit distilled elsewhere and then selling it under their own brand/label to establish their name whilst they wait for their own distilled spirit to mature.   They effectively operate as independent bottlers, until such time as the spirit they’ve made themselves is ready to launch.

Highwayman is one such distillery and operation.  Effectively established in 2018 by Dan Woolley, Highwayman is based in Byron Bay, adding to the rapidly growing number of distilleries in New South Wales.  Dan’s name is known to most Australian whisky enthusiasts, having worked tirelessly for many years as the brand ambassador for the Beam/Suntory portfolio in Australia, most notably with Laphroaig.    What many people weren’t aware of is that, during this time, Woolley would spend his holidays and time off working voluntarily at numerous distilleries in Scotland, the USA, Japan, and Australia, learning the art and craft of distillation.  Highwayman is thus the realisation of a long-term dream, in more ways than one. 

Continue reading “Highwayman whisky”

Australian whisky has its Cardhu moment

Our Cardhu moment?  Yes, very much so….

Since the Australian whisky industry’s re-birth 30-odd years ago, there have been a number of specific markers or events that have indicated the industry is taking steps forward and leaving its fledgling status behind.  Like an adolescent transitioning to adulthood, not every step is glamorous; there will be a few missteps along the way; but you’ve got to take those steps to learn and develop.

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The Tanist, by Chief’s Son distillery.

As the number of fledgling whisky distilleries around Australia grows, an increasing number are now starting to release their whisky and bring it to market.   In fact, as at August 2020, the number of distilleries selling their legal, matured whisky is apparently 48!

What is increasingly exciting, at least in the eyes of this observer, is seeing the number of mainland distilleries establish themselves in the various states.   Our industry has never (yet) been large enough, sustained enough, or consistent enough for concepts such as regionality or terroir to be considered. It would be interesting if Victorian distilleries had a certain, common style that was unique and identifiably distinct from, say, WA or NSW – but perhaps that’s just a romantic notion tethered to the sentimentality of a Scotch fan who still appreciates a Lowlander being distinct from a Speysider and an Islay….

With that as a backdrop, Aussie whisky fans have rejoiced in seeing a number of distilleries establish themselves in Victoria. For so long the sole domain of Bakery Hill, there are now other players in the state, and one such player planting an increasingly visible foothold is Chief’s Son.

Continue reading “The Tanist, by Chief’s Son distillery.”

Bakery Hill – The Blunderbuss

With new local distilleries or independent bottlers/releases launching and popping up all over Australia, it’s easy to overlook some of the long-time brands that have been waving the flag all along. But you overlook these at your peril – particularly when one of those distilleries brings along something that truly hits great heights.

Bakery Hill is one such distillery. Established in 1999, it is one of the oldest of the current crop of Australian distilleries, and – as we explored in this article previously – it’s a quiet achiever that lets its whiskies do the talking. You’ll not see or hear much from them on social media, even as they steadily and consistently win awards and accolades from around the world. But your tastebuds should tune in to what they’re doing.

One of Bakery Hill’s great appeals is its consistency of product. Whilst several distilleries still lurch from good to poor to spectacular to mediocre with each successive single cask release, Bakery Hill has been around long enough to find its operating and procedural “sweet spot” and they stick to it. It has a core range of products that both impress and deliver – case in point, their Peated Malt Cask Strength was awarded “Southern Hemisphere Whisky of the Year” in Jim Murray’s 2020 Bible.  No mean feat.

So with such bona fides established, it’s exciting when they then bring along something new to the table.  And delicious to boot.  Bakery Hill’s “The Blunderbuss” is one such whisky, and its story is worth telling….

Continue reading “Bakery Hill – The Blunderbuss”

Australian whisky – It’s got an image problem

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…

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Bakery Hill – the view from the top

There’s a lot of noise and activity in the Australian whisky scene at the moment – most of it to do with new distilleries being established or newer distilleries releasing their first matured spirit. Or, frequently, you’ll hear about some Aussie whisky collecting an award at an international spirits competition.  Meanwhile, some distilleries are simply getting on with making good whisky.  Bakery Hill is one such distillery. Not the most vocal brand on social media, Bakery Hill is happy to let its whiskies do the talking. And talk, they do. Continue reading “Bakery Hill – the view from the top”