Oz Whisky Review

24/02/2024

The new Archie Rose Heritage Red Gum Single Malt Whisky has landed.

This remarkable whisky was matured in native red gum casks that previously held Australian wine since the 1930s. On top of that, Archie Rose's master distiller Dave Withers has an incredible connection to the history of these casks.

Editor Luke McCarthy has been writing about the native wood whisky trend for a number of years, and he reckons this new Archie Rose red gum malt is a genuine progression of the style.

For the full chat, check out this in-depth review of what will likely become one of the most talked about Australian whiskies of 2024.

Luke McCarthy reviews Archie Rose's remarkable Heritage Red Gum Cask Single Malt Whisky. Is this the new benchmark for native wood matured whiskies?

31/12/2023

Top 10 Australian whiskies of 2023.

It’s that time of year again, and it’s been such a pleasure to look back on the best and brightest whisky releases of 2023.

For the Oz Whisky Review team's top whiskies of the year, we keep things pretty simple. Our top 10 are drawn from categories like best single malt, best rye, best corn whisky, peated whisky, blended whisky, best bang for your buck whisky… you get the idea.

As always, there were some arguments and disagreements on the final list, and feel free to let us know what your top picks of 2023 were.

A huge thank you to everyone for coming on the journey again this year, particularly to our amazing contributors EV Liong and Julian White from Whisky & Alement.

Special thanks go out to our subscribers for your support, and a big shout-out to all the producers and people who make Australian whisky happen – we’ve had an awesome time sharing your stories and tasting your fantastic work this year.

The Oz Whisky Review team select their picks for Australia's best whisky releases of 2023.

19/12/2023

To round out our recent deep dive into South Australian whisky, editor Luke McCarthy looks at 10 whiskies that show how rapidly the scene is progressing in SA.

From whiskies matured in ancient fortified casks, even red gum casks, to innovative approaches with mash bills and 'terroir' malts, there's a lot to like in this snapshot of the South Australian whisky scene.

South Australian whisky review. Editor Luke McCarthy reviews 10 whiskies from the wine state that show how far the South Australian industry has progressed.

16/12/2023

The South Australian distilling industry is booming. Over 100 distilleries can be found in South Australia today, and over two dozen of them are making whisky.

But, unbeknown to many, South Australia has a long, mostly forgotten history of whisky production stretching back to the free colony's earliest days. Some of the state's most iconic wine names including Penfolds, Yalumba and Seppeltsfield have all made whisky in former eras, and the remnants of SA whisky distilleries can still be seen today (when you know where to look).

To find out what happened to these long-lost distilleries and their whiskies, dive into the story of whisky making in the wine state in our latest long read.

South Australia has a long, mostly forgotten history of whisky production. Some of the most iconic names in wine (Penfolds, Yalumba, Seppelstfield) have released whisky brands in the past, and now, with the spirits industry flourishing, we dive into the long-overlooked story of whisky making in Sout...

11/12/2023

Ballarat's Kilderkin Distillery have just unveiled their inaugural five year old Goldfields Single Malt Whisky.

Kilderkin was the first distillery in the Ballarat region since the closure of the incredible Warrenheip Distillery in the 1930s, a famed ghost distillery that once produced some of the finest malt whisky in the country.

Today, Kilderkin are flying the Ballarat malt whisky flag once again, and here we've got a review of their first bottling.

Photo – Meda Design Au

Review: Kilderkin Distillery have released Goldfields Single Malt Whisky. The Ballarat distillery, owned by Chris Pratt and Rebecca Matthews has slowly built up its whisky stocks since starting production in 2016, and here we review their inaugural bottling.

26/11/2023

Following Morris Whisky's recent launch of Smoked Sherry Barrel – a bold follow-up to their Smoked Muscat bottling – editor Luke McCarthy explores the new dry sherry smoke bomb that's bound to polarise peated whisky fans.

Editor Luke McCarthy reviews Morris Smoked Sherry Barrel Whisky, the latest limited edition offering from the Rutherglen producer.

18/11/2023

In our latest, Ev Liong explores two Tasmanian whiskies from recently launched independent bottlers Truth and Consequence, founded by David Koutsoukos and Ross Havezov, owners of The Old Barrelhouse.

Expect both Scottish and Australian whiskies to be bottled under the new label, all single cask and always bottled at natural cask strength. That commitment to bottling fresh out of the cask will see some big, bold, Australian releases, as Ev found out here.

Ev Liong takes a look two whiskies from recently launched independent bottlers Truth and Consequence, founded by The Old Barrelhouse founders David Koutsoukos and Ross Havezov.

10/10/2023

The Hellyers Road American Oak 21 Year Old Cask Strength bottling was recently released, and it's certainly a levelling up in age and price from one of Tasmania's oldest distilleries.

Here we put the new bottling through its paces alongside the Hellyers Road Voyager Cask 19 Year Old.

Our review of Hellyers Road's new 21 Year Old American Oak and the Hellyers Voyager Cask 19 Year Old.

23/09/2023

South Australians have a new single malt whisky to celebrate with the release of Barossa Distilling Co's Gallus Single Malt Whisky.

Six years in the making, this first single malt from Barossa Distilling's Neil Bullock was initially matured in ex-Bourbon and tawny casks before being finished in a Saury French oak Muscat cask sourced from a local winery.

Read on for the full story behind the release plus a review of the inaugural bottling.

Review: South Australia and the Barossa have a new single malt whisky to celebrate with the release of Barossa Distilling Co's Gallus Single Malt Whisky.

17/09/2023

The new $85 Archie Rose Double Malt Whisky has arrived. What does the release mean for the Australian whisky industry? How does it taste, how does it mix, and will bars and retailers get behind it?

Editor Luke McCarthy talked to Archie Rose master distiller Dave Withers to get the lowdown on one of the biggest Australian whisky releases of the year.

The new $85 Archie Rose Double Malt Whisky has arrived. What does it mean for the Australian whisky industry? How does it taste, how does it mix, and will bars and retailers get behind it? Editor Luke McCarthy explores one of the biggest Australian whisky releases of the year.

09/09/2023

Tasmanian whisky report 2023. With so many new whiskies released for the recently held Tasmanian Whisky Week, editor Luke McCarthy looks at a whopping 23 bottlings from 20+ producers that show how rapidly the Tassie industry is progressing.

Following all the latest releases from Tasmanian Whisky Week 2023, editor Luke McCarthy looks at a whopping 23 Tassie whiskies that show how the industry is progressing.

04/09/2023

Tasmanian Whisky Week came back with a bang this year. After a few weeks of processing (and recovery), here's editor Luke McCarthy's report on the weeklong celebration of Tasmanian whisky with a deep dive into how the industry is tracking.

Editor Luke McCarthy reports on Tasmanian Whisky Week 2023. Catch-up on all the latest from the Tasmanian whisky scene with this deep dive into the weeklong celebration.

09/07/2023

Is there a better antidote to those winter chills than stout and a nip of whisky?

Thankfully, now you can have the best of both worlds, as Australian distillers and brewers have long been swapping casks to create some seriously tasty stout cask finished whiskies.

To bring you up to speed, Whisky & Alement's Julian White reviews a stellar line-up of Australian single malts finished in ex-stout casks.

From Starward's hugely popular recent Stout Cask release to some sought-after Tassie stout cask finished malts from Overeem, Spirit Thief and Hobart Whisky. And if you haven't come across Bakery Hill's Blunderbuss, part of their annual barrel-swapping collaboration with Hop Nation, then you need to rectify that situation.

Julian White reviews Starward Stout Cask and Bakery Hill's Blunderbuss 2022, plus stout-cask finished whiskies from Overeem, Spirit Thief and Hobart Whisky.

30/06/2023

Tried any of these recently launched Australian whiskies?

Editor Luke McCarthy has been diving into the latest batch of first release bottlings, many of which hail from craft breweries.

There's some mind-bending flavours to get your head around here, especially the just-released Wildflower Brewing & Blending + Poor Toms collaboration, which rates as one of the most exciting and thought-provoking Australian whisky releases we've come across.

A deep dive into first release whiskies from Noodledoof, Future Proof Distilling, Craft & Co, Imbue Distillery and an incredible collaboration whisky from Wildflower Brewing and Poor Toms.

28/05/2023

There’s a perception that Australian whisky is predominately cask-forward thanks to the ex-tawny (port), apera (sherry) and red wine casks frequently used to mature spirit here.

However, dozens of Australian distilleries also employ ex-Bourbon casks to create more spirit-driven whiskies. For a deeper look at this style, editor Luke McCarthy has taken a grand tour through 12 Aussie ex-Bourbon cask matured malts: from single cask to solera-style, young to old (including a stunning Hellyers 19 year old).

Editor Luke McCarthy reviews Australian Bourbon cask matured single malts from Hobart Whisky, Kinglake, Overeem, Starward, Hellyers Road, Launceston Distillery and many more.

26/05/2023

With the weather turning, we’re switching to richer and bolder whisky cocktails when perched at the bar or mixing at home.

And while we love a classic Rob Roy at Oz Whisky Review, we also love seeing Scotch whisky’s answer to the Manhattan levelled up.

Here, Joey Tai, the celebrated hospitality legend, consultant and distiller from Melbourne's iconic Flower Drum creates a rich and brooding Rob Roy using STARWARD Fortis.

Hospitality legend Joey Tai from Melbourne's Flower Drum creates a rich and brooding Rob Roy using Starward Fortis.

23/05/2023

The Waubs Harbour Whisky project has certainly captured the attention of the local whisky community.

To get the lowdown on this exciting new coastal distillery, editor Luke McCarthy had a chat to Bec and Tim Polmear about the journey to now and what to expect from Waubs moving forward.

Plus, we've also reviewed Waubs Habour's first release Flagship Series single malts: Waubs Original, Port Storm and Founder's Reserve. Head over to our 'Whisky Reviews' section for a closer look at the whiskies behind one of Tassie's up-and-coming producers.

Editor Luke McCarthy talks to Bec and Tim Polmear from Waubs Harbour Distillery about the journey to now and what to expect from their new maritime malt whisky.

23/04/2023

Whisky festivals are back and booming, but following the pandemic the format and success of whisky festivals has come into focus.

Editor Luke McCarthy has had reservations about the festival circuit in the past, but a number of new whisky shows have him excited for the future.

In our latest feature, he looks at some of the recent festivals that have been changing things up and discusses which ones to keep on your radar, like Limburg’s The Whisky Fair, where Oz Whisky Review contributor Julian White is currently livin' it up (and we’re usuper envious).

Whisky festivals are back and booming. And while editor Luke McCarthy has had reservations about the festival circuit in the past, a number of new whisky shows has him excited for the future.

21/04/2023

In our latest, Whisky & Alement's Julian White tackles two collections of independently bottled Australian whiskies: Return to Oz from That Boutique-y Whisky Company and Australian Celebration 2023 from Barrel & Batch.

Both local and international 'indie' bottlers are now turning their attention to Australian whisky producers, as Jules writes. Find out what he thinks about the intricacies involved in sourcing and bottling top quality Australian whiskies.

Julian White reviews two new collections of Australian whisky: Return to Oz from That Boutique-y Whisky Company, and Celebrating Australia from Barrel & Batch Whisky Co-op.

19/04/2023

New whiskies alert!

We’ve been tasting and hearing about some fantastic newly launched whiskies of late.

Waubs Harbour Whisky first release single malts have got everyone talking, and their new core range bottlings go live for purchase tonight at 7pm.

Another recent launch that’s flown right under the radar is Two Doctors Whiskey. The six year old single malt whisky was recently released by Prof John Rasko, a world-leading physician and scientist, and Dr Jerry Schwartz, a cosmetic surgeon and hotelier.

We’re also excited by the new batches of 3Souls Single Malt Whisky, the new Archie Rose Return to Sandigo, and Amber Lane’s Equinox Single Malt (the latter landing at a cracking price).

Head to our 'New Whiskies' section for a round-up of these new bottlings and more.

https://ozwhiskyreview.com.au/march-whisky-releases-2023/

And if you're keen to stay up to date, subscribe to our newsletter to get info on current and upcoming whisky releases.

– Images courtesy of the distilleries

10/03/2023

Editor Luke McCarthy explores the new single pot still whisky landscape, reviewing Tasmania's Hunter Island and Transportation whiskies alongside benchmark and contemporary expressions from Midleton, Teeling, Di**le and Ballykeefe.

And yes, those are Irish whiskies we're talking about. This review marks the start of a slightly new direction for Oz Whisky Review, where we'll gradually start exploring whiskies and stories from right across the world.

To be clear, Australian whisky is our primary focus at Oz Whisky Review. That's not changing, and this will always be an Australian whisky resource first and foremost.

However, one of the unique strengths of the Australian industry is its connectedness to whisky styles and ideas from across the world. That's definitely on show in the Tasmanian pot still whiskies reviewed here: inspired by an iconic Irish style, but putting their own Tasmanian spin on it.

So, it's high time we broadened our scope, and we're looking forward to sharing some new discoveries from right across the whisky world with you in future.

Editor Luke McCarthy explores the new single pot still whisky landscape, reviewing Tasmania's Hunter Island and Transportation whiskies alongside some benchmark and emerging Irish expressions.

28/02/2023

With the launch of Hunter Island Whisky over the weekend, we caught up with founders Damian and Madeleine Mackey to chat about their distilling journey, the rise of Tasmanian single pot still, and what to expect from their Irish-inspired whiskies in future.

We chat to Damian and Madeleine Mackey about their new Hunter Island Whisky project and the future of pot still whisky in Australia.

25/02/2023

Renowned Tasmanian distillers Damian and Madeleine Mackey are set to launch Hunter Island Pot Still Whisky this weekend.

The new project, inspired by Ireland’s famed single pot still whiskies, became the first Australian whisky made in the style for a number of decades when the Mackey’s started production in January 2020.

Now, their first Hunter Island Whisky release is just around the corner, and we've got the lowdown on their interpretation of this uniquely Irish whiskey style.

Damian and Madeleine Mackey launch Hunter Island Tasmanian Pot Still Whisky, their take on Ireland's renowned Irish single pot still style.

17/02/2023

Now this is cocktail weather! But what if you wanted to mix an Australian whisky into the equation?

Over the last 30 years of Australian whisky’s revival, cocktails have rarely been a part of the story. Thankfully, that story is starting to change, with more affordable and widely available Australian whisky continuing to be released every year.

Bartenders now have more local whisky options to play with than ever before, and that’s something Whisky & Alement's award-winning bar manager Lachlan Watt, one of the country’s top whisky experts, is revelling in.

Here he shows us how a high-quality, affordable single malt like Kinglake Distillery's O’Grady’s Stand can be turned into a tropical classic with caramelised pineapple syrup, rosemary, citrus and Australian vermouth.

We’re excited to be bringing you more cocktail and bars coverage this year, so stay tuned.

Cocktail Recipe 'On Every Corner' by Lachlan Watt. One of Australia's top bar managers and whisky experts shows us how a high quality single malt like Kinglake's O'Grady's Stand can be turned into a refreshing summer classic.

10/02/2023

Sullivans Cove are set to release a 21 year old American Oak single cask whisky (HH0229), their oldest single cask whisky to date.

Editor Luke McCarthy got a sneaky taste of the new 21 year old before its release, and here he reviews the new bottling alongside the award-winning and highly sought-after Sullivans Cove American Oak HH0351.

Sullivans Cove to release a 21 year old American Oak single cask whisky (HH0229), their oldest single cask whisky to date.

27/01/2023

That Boutique-y Whisky Company (TBWC) have announced a new series of Australian whisky bottlings with Return to Oz, a follow-up collection to their Australia Series of independent bottlings first launched in 2021.

Six distilleries never bottled by TBWC before will feature in the collection, including a new Australian rye whisky and eight Australian single malts.

That Boutique-y Whisky Company unveil a new series of Australian whisky bottlings with 'Return to Oz', a follow-up collection to the 'Australia Series'.

06/01/2023

We rounded out 2022 with a look at some of the inaugural whiskies from new distilleries located right across the country. From paddock to bottle to peated chardonnay, there were some seriously intriguing single malts launched last year.

The full line-up includes:

- Lisandras Distillery American Oak Single Malt Whisky
- Jones & Smith American Oak Tawny Cask Single Malt Whisky
- Eden Whisky Allegory Smoky Apera Cask Single Malt Whisky
- Lower Marsh Distillery American Oak ex-Bourbon Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky
- Woodwater Distillery Tawny Cask First Release Single Malt Whisky
- Woodwater Distillery Chardonnay Cask First Release Single Malt Whisky

Lisandras Distillery American Oak, Jones & Smith American Oak Tawny Cask, Eden Whisky Allegory Smoky Apera Cask, Lower Marsh Distillery American Oak ex-Bourbon Cask Strength, and Woodwater Distiller Tawny Cask Distillers Strength and Chardonnay Cask First Release

31/12/2022

It’s that time of year again, and it’s been such a pleasure to look back on the best and brightest whisky releases of 2022.

For the Oz Whisky Review team's top whiskies of the year, we keep things pretty simple. Our top 10 are drawn from categories like best single malt, best rye, best corn whisky, peated whisky, blended whisky, best bang for your buck whisky, etc.

We think about the outright quality of the whisky, value for money, general awesomeness, and we’re also interested in whiskies that can say something about where they’re from.

As always, there were some heated arguments and disagreements on the final list, so let us know what your top picks of 2022 were as well, we’d love to hear them.

As always, a huge thank you to everyone for coming on the journey again this year, and a special thanks to our subscribers for your support, we really appreciate you getting behind independent media.

And to all the producers and people who make Australian whisky happen, a huge thank you – we’ve had an awesome time sharing your stories and tasting your fantastic work this year.

The Australian whisky industry is gathering serious momentum and we can't wait to bring you all the latest in 2023, so stay tuned.

Cheers and Happy New Year,

The Oz Whisky Review team – Luke, Jules and Ev

The Oz Whisky Review team select their picks for Australia's best whisky releases of 2022.

22/12/2022

It’s been a big year for whiskies matured in all sorts of different cask types, and for our final long read of 2022, editor Luke McCarthy explores how casks are driving a golden age in Australian whisky making.

How influential is the cask to the final flavour of a whisky? What does the wood type and the previous liquid inhabitant add to the equation? And how crucial is the local wine industry to the future of this style of Australian whisky maturation?

Experts and distillers from across Australia weigh in on one of the most crucial pieces in the whisky making puzzle.

Australian distillers have access to some of the best quality casks going thanks to the thriving Australian wine industry. Here editor Luke McCarthy explores how the relationship between local whisky and wine producers is ushering in a golden age for Australian whisky making.

09/12/2022

In our latest, Ev Liong tackles some highly anticipated, even slightly blasphemous, fortified and wine cask matured whiskies that have recently hit the shelves.

The full line-up includes:

- Starward Vitalis
- Hobart Whisky Pedro Ximénez Solera
- Never Never Banded Blended Malt Whisky
- Coastal Stone Nor’easter
- Morris Whisky Sherry Cask
- Killara Port Cask KD26
- Iniquity Anomaly Series Sticky Fingers.

Ev Liong reviews: Hobart Whisky Pedro Ximénez Solera, Coastal Stone Nor’easter, Morris Whisky Sherry Cask, Never Never Banded Blended Malt, Killara Port Cask KD26, Starward Vitalis and Iniquity Sticky Fingers.