If you’ve followed the news, gossip, and under-currents of the Australian whisky industry over the last year or two, you’ll be aware that it’s an extremely dynamic scene right now. New distilleries are popping up everywhere; new releases & products are being launched; distilling methods and products are diversifying; distillery ownerships are changing hands; and the industry is genuinely in a state of “blink and you’ll miss something”.
In a space that is becoming increasingly crowded, each new distillery fights for its point of difference or to latch on to something tangible that sells their story. Phrases like “craft”, “finest ingredients”, “pristine environment”, “care and attention to detail”, and the classic “traditional methods” simply don’t carry much weight or meaning anymore, and – with due respect to all involved – it can seem a bit forced for those distilleries that have simply copied or modelled their plant and operations on the same blueprint and template as the many distilleries that stepped out before them.
It’s thus noteworthy when a distillery comes along that is genuinely innovating and doing something different. The 78 Degrees distillery is one such pioneer…
So let’s get the introductions out of the way. The distillery was founded by Sacha La Forgia in 2014 in the Adelaide Hills (a large region to the east of Adelaide, South Australia) originally under the name Adelaide Hills Distillery. A winemaker by training and profession, La Forgia was working at a Grappa distillery in Italy when inspiration struck to start up a distillery back home. Making his own still (a shape and design quite unique in this country, as you’ll see in one of the images further down), he launched with a gin in 2015. Partners Steve Dorman and Toby Kline of The Hills Cider Company came onboard in 2016, expanding the business and the operation into other spirits. (Whisky production commenced that same year). The distillery subsequently re-located to new premises known collectively as Lot. 100, which it shares with other food/drink businesses Mismatch Brewing Co, The Hills Cider Company, Vinteloper, and Ashton Valley Fresh. The establishment has a highly regarded onsite restaurant, making it quite the destination for visitors wanting a culinary excursion for the day.
78 degrees is the boiling point of alcohol in Celsius, and 78 Degrees was the brand name of the distillery’s gin. The gin went on to earn acclaim, and the distillery recently changed its name from Adelaide Hills Distillery to 78 Degrees. What makes 78 Degrees interesting as a producer is its commitment to sustainability and innovation. These aren’t just mere buzzwords, but are borne out and keenly displayed through the distillery’s operations:
- A portion of the profits from its 78o Better Gin is donated back to local community and charities.
- Raw materials for production are carefully sourced from businesses and suppliers that share and espouse sustainability values and methodologies in their operations.
- Energy and consumables at the distillery are “green”. The distillery has invested heavily in solar power production (300kW!) and many aspects of the distillery’s operation and even the building’s construction materials are designed to minimise energy consumption.
- Water for production comes from three bores drilled on site. The bore water is processed through a reverse osmosis system to demineralise the water & remove impurities. Importantly and impressively, the waste water from production (it takes roughly 6-7 litres of water to produce 1 litre of cask-strength spirit) is post-processed and cleaned through a bioreactor. The solids are sent to a compost system; the clean water is returned to the earth through the irrigation systems used in the farming surrounding the distillery. It’s essentially a “closed loop” system, and is in stark contrast to most distilleries, where waste water is simply discharged into the sewer.
When it comes to 78o Whiskey, the product is, again, innovative and different to most other players – right down to the spelling. Yes, that’s an ‘e’ you read in whiskey. Stuart “Chewy” Morrow, Distillery Manager, explains: “Honestly, we just wanted to be awkward. We deliberately set out to make something that wasn’t in the general Aussie vein of Single Malt, or merely our take on another style. We wanted to do something different and the ‘e’ was a way of getting people to ask why it was there and open the conversation up”.
Let’s explore the nitty-gritty of production: The barley – GM free – is locally grown on site in the distillery’s own paddocks, and is thus irrigated with its own water. But it’s the next few steps that genuinely stand out:
- Whereas most distilleries use a single malted grain for their mash, 78 Degrees uses unmalted barley as the base of its mashbill, and then adds up to 11 different specialty malts to add and build flavour. Malting is one of the most energy-heavy processes in whisky production with large drawdowns on electricity, heat consumption, and water. Using unmalted barley as the base of the mashbill goes a long way to fulfilling the distillery’s sustainability principles.
- In addition to its signature or core-range whiskey, 78 Degrees has also been at the forefront of making whiskey with “native grains” – that is, grains that are native and unique to Australia. The distillery has experimented with Wattleseed, Kangaroo Grass, Spinifex, and Salt Bush Seed. Also of note was their distillate made with Weeping Grass (similar to a rice grain) that went on to win “World’s Best Grain Whiskey” at the 2021 World Whiskies Awards and a string of awards and medals in numerous other spirits awards programs.
- Nearly all distilleries rinse/soak their grain in water through three rinse cycles to dissolve the sugars, and the sugary liquid (wort) is drawn off separately and has yeast added to start fermentation. In contrast to this, 78 Degrees ferments “on grain”, meaning just a single soak and no water wastage. The fermentation takes place with the grain, and the resulting liquid picks up more complexity as it draws phenols from the husks.
- Distillation is unique through the distillery’s hybrid pot and column still system, thus requiring just a single run. Interestingly, the wash (beer) is also distilled “on grain” with the husks, thus imparting flavour and body to the spirit.
- Being a “paddock to bottle” distillery, the waste from distillation, i.e. the pot ale, which is rich in micro-nutrients, is sprayed back onto the barley and used as a natural fertiliser.
Unlike many Australian whisk(e)y distilleries, 78 Degrees produces all of its own wash. (A nice touch, particularly considering the Mismatch Brewery is actually on the same site!). Morrow explains further: “We actually don’t use a lauter tun (which they have at Mismatch) allowing us to extract the entirety of the wash, husk and all. This saves water and energy on sparging, as well as giving a lot of residual flavour through fermenting/distilling ‘on husk’. For me it’s almost like cocoa pops, or digestive biscuits.”
And as for distillation? “We use a hybrid still. The one on the left (see image above) is obviously the copper pot with a larger reflux bulb. This is steam powered. As this was originally designed for gin, on the back is an agitator (long paddle) that allows us to distill on husk without scorching the grains or having issues with sticking. We then use five plates in the column. The small stainless cylinder is our vapour basket (not used for the whiskey) and then we have the condenser. We repurpose the condenser water (around 45oc) to start our next mash, saving energy in heating. Our pot ale is repurposed as a fertiliser/pesticide back onto the barley field in Mallala, where we get our base barley.”
The majority of spirit is filled into ex-red wine casks. (Mostly shiraz). Importantly, the casks are shaved back to new oak, then toasted and re-charred, meaning that the wine’s influence is still there, but it’s significantly tempered and shouldn’t dominate. The re-charring also ensures the casks fulfil the all-important subtractive processes during maturation. (For more information on this, you can read Whisky & Wisdom’s Complete guide to oak, casks, and whisky maturation.) More recently, spirit is also being filled into ex-bourbon casks, accounting for roughly 20% of the vatting in each batch.
So the above philosophy to distilling and whisk(e)y production is an admirable approach, but the big question – as always – is this: Is the whisk(e)y any good? Whisky and Wisdom spent some time with two of the distillery’s products: The signature or flagship “Australian Whiskey”, and the recently released “Muscat Cask Finish”. You can read our detailed thoughts and tasting notes on each release below, but the executive summary is that both whiskies are indeed enjoyable experiences, and they fill quality space in the Australian whisk(e)y spectrum.
The use of unmalted barley, supplemented with specialty malts, makes the Australian Whiskey an interesting dram that has subtle complexities if you dig deep enough. The Muscat Cask Finish is admirable because – unlike many other Australian whiskies using ex-fortified casks – the muscat casks were used for a finishing period, rather than for the spirit’s entire maturation. (The finishing period was just three months, following two-and-a-half to three years in the shaved and re-charred ex-red wine casks). The result is a whiskey that is complemented and adjusted by the fortified wine, rather than dominated by it. The Muscat Cask Finish is indeed tasty and more-ish, although as you’ll read below, it would be fair to observe that the overall final result remains in a familiar and common camp of oak-driven, wine-influenced Australian whisk(e)y, and the complexities and differences that could be showcased by using 11 different specialty malts perhaps get lost and swallowed up by the wood.
Finally, it’s also worth commenting that 78 Degrees is amongst the new wave of distilleries that is offering its main products at a more appealing and affordable price bracket than the high prices that had become the unfortunate stereotype. Whilst specialty offerings like the Native Grain understandably come with high price tags (e.g. $450 – noting that native grains aren’t the most commercially viable or high-yielding cereals being farmed!), the Australian Whiskey comes at an extremely modest $110 for a 700ml bottle, and the Muscat Cask Finish for just $140. Our further, detailed thoughts on each whiskey as follows…..
78o Australian Whiskey, 44% ABV, 700ml, RRP $110
Nose: Soft and inviting, it takes a few seconds to come to life, and then some wonderful cereal notes start to emerge; all of them noticeably tweaked or shifted by the red wine cask influence. Wine gums, paperbark, faint petrichor. Also some dried spices, star anise, and a hint of cinnamon.
Palate: A touch drying, the palate throws up some interesting contrasts including burnt sage, mandarin citrus, and some nice pastry notes, e.g. vanilla custard slice. The mouthfeel is grippy.
Finish: Spicy and drying, the shiraz casks leave a wee bit of bite behind.
Comments: A sweet and tasty dram that’s reached a decent level of maturity for something relatively young. The aromas and flavours offer genuine complexity and interest although, with repeated sips, the tannins begin to build.
78o Muscat Finish, 44% ABV, 700ml, RRP $140
Nose: Richly perfumed and floral. The aromas extend well beyond cereal notes and, instead, move quickly into territory associated with confectionery, sweet shops, and lollies. There’s some tart, boozy fruit (boysenberry, blueberries, and quince paste) all up front. Dig deeper beneath the surface and one finds portuguese tarts, caramel, fruit flan pastries, and other sweet goodies.
Palate: The initial burst on the palate is sweet. It’s a saccarine sweetness, initially, although as the palate transitions to the finish, the sweetness takes on a more clean and natural flavour. Bottled at 44% ABV, the alcohol balance and heat is as near perfect as you’ll find, and it delivers a concoction of sweet, jam-like or conserve flavours that will please anyone with a sweet tooth.
Finish: The sweetness lingers, leaving the impression of having just finished sucking a fruit bonbon lolly or similar. With each repeated sip, you become gradually aware of the tannins.
Comments: The colour is an inviting copper, with perhaps the tiniest blush of auburn. This works well as a dessert whisk(e)y; it’s certainly on the sweet side, but it’s a fruity sweetness. (For fans of boilermakers, try pairing this with a contrasting hoppy pale ale). Tasted in succession after the Australian Whiskey, the Muscat Finish seems the superior and more refined of the two. Make no mistake, it’s pleasant and it’s tasty, and if you’re a fan of the wood-driven style of Australian whisk(e)y, then this is your jam. Unlike some other players in this space, it’s neither hot nor over-oaked, although there’s no escaping the tannins sooner or later after repeat sips. The lament and shame from my perspective is that this whisk(e)y had a fascinating and obviously well-considered, cleverly-crafted mashbill that consisted of several specialty malts (e.g. Biscuit, Supernova, Redback, Brown & Shepherds Delight). That’s a complex mashbill that goes well beyond what the vast majority of Australian distillers are doing right now, and it would be incredible if that complexity and skill was distinguishable on the palate. Instead, the combined result of ex-shiraz casks and ex-muscat casks has possibly overwhelmed the subtleties and complexity of the grains, giving us an admittedly tasty and more-ish dram, but one that I found did not stand out or seem significantly different from the competition. That’s more of a personal lament than a criticism…..but, given the cask is influencing and contributing so significantly to the final flavour, one wonders if this whiskey would be much different if the distillery had just used a single malted cereal grain like everyone else? One suspects the considerable labours and efforts that the brewing and distilling team are going to would be better rewarded and showcased in American oak ex-bourbon casks, where this unique spirit’s voice could be better heard.
Cheers,
AD
PS: You also might like our article, “The challenges of starting a new whisky brand“.
PPS: You might be interested in some of the other articles we’ve written about Australian distilleries. You could also check out Whisky & Wisdom’s feature pieces on…
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