Australian Whisky Snapshot
Aussie Mixed Bag | Various% ABV
The State of Australian Whisky
There’s been a reasonable amount of discussion around the state of world whisky lately, particularly the whisky coming out of Australia. There was even a segment dedicated to Aus whisky in Ingvar Ronde’s Malt Whisky Yearbook 2024 edition, featuring input from Whisky & Wisdom author Andrew Derbridge.
Incidentally, it’s an interesting article that’s well worth a read, published in one of the best coffee table whisky books going around. Anyway, as glamorous as the industry may seem from certain perspectives, to this writer at least, not all that glitters is green and gold.
To be clear, this isn’t meant to be some sensationalistic, contrarian slam piece meant to denigrate my homeland’s industry. There is, in my opinion, some rather good whisky being made down under. Hopefully the reviews section later will go to show this more thoroughly. I would rather aim to present as objective and balanced a perspective as one so directly involved can, while exploring some of the underlying factors dictating the state of play.
So what qualms might one take? Well, I’ll come out and say it fairly bluntly. The Australian whisky industry is, by and large, still the Wild West.
That’s not to say that progress hasn’t been made. Four decades ago, there basically wasn’t an Aus whisky scene. Bill Lark led the charge in kickstarting what was essentially a dead category, and the rest is history, so to speak. There are many other fine articles detailing the rise in Aus distilling since then, so I won’t waste much space reiterating that here. For reference though, the feature by Derbridge in the Malt Whisky Yearbook places the number of distilleries making some form of whisky at near 150. That’s an enormous expansion, especially for a country with a population under 30 million.
Naturally the production volumes for the majority of these are fairly miniscule, but it still presents a huge investment in the category. As with any rapid growth in a complex craft, the education, experience and knowledge must all lag behind this growth by some factor. Australia is lucky in one sense, given that alcohol production is long established by virtue of our wine production. Accordingly, there is some established infrastructure to support the industry in lab testing, government regulations and other industry-cultural dynamics. By the same token though, it also means that the whisky industry is, and has been formatively, reliant on the wine industry to varying extents; more on this later.
Historically, the academics of distilling and whisky production as a particular subset of distilling has always had roots in brewing science. In fact, arguably the world’s most important and influential independent body for distilling education is The Institute of Brewing and Distilling (IBD). The IBD traces their history all the way back to 1886 from their progenitors “The Laboratory Club”, and their first technical publications were issued after changing names to “The Institute of Brewing” as early as 1890. There is a close knit relationship between the IBD and technical institutions all over the world, including the prestigious Heriot-Watt university in Edinburgh - so much so that the IBD will accept their bachelors degree in brewing and distilling science as an alternative prerequisite for completing the IBD master brewer and master distiller qualifications.
On this note, it should be mentioned that there is a whisky-oriented distillation course run in Tasmania (The Tasmanian Whisky Academy) twice yearly on behalf of the IBD. It is a masterclass format with content from the IBD general certificate course, run by IBD member Anne Gigney, and it is widely considered the gold standard for a minimum level of practical whisky production training in the country. That said, the course is only two days long, so the scope of content is accordingly limited.
A functional academic understanding of the production processes thus requires independent development. It is also fairly expensive, especially considering the transport and accommodation required for most distillers travelling from the mainland, so there is a pros/cons consideration for many aspiring distillers as to whether the course represents justifiably good value. Anyway, getting to the larger issue. Essentially all of the pathways for formal tertiary learning in alcohol production (above a certificate or diploma level qualification, such as those offered through TAFE) are via university degrees in viticulture and oenology.
There are universities dabbling in brewing and distilling, but to the best of my knowledge none offer any bachelor-level or above. As a result, the wine industry is the largest domestic resource for most academic work in brewing and distilling, with the remainder generally being occupied by chemists, biologists and food scientists. What do universities cover in their viticulture and oenology degrees? Arguably the most industry valued degree offered domestically comes from Adelaide University’s Waite campus which, incidentally, is about half an hour from where I live. If you take a look at the degree structure, you’ll see that the sum of all distilling study is covered in one course in the third year, though there’s no hands on distilling experience outside of laboratory distillations (i.e. learning what cuts are and how they smell compared to pre-distillation samples) and the course is split with fortification and sparkling wine production too. There is a brewing elective, though I’m told very little is covered, and again there’s no hands on component.
Having worked with many students at various stages of this course’s completion as part of my time in liquor retail, I can say with fair confidence that there is little emphasis placed on distillation, save for a limited application thereof for brandy making and producing grape spirit used in fortified wine making. This makes sense from the perspective of universities generating capable winemakers, but it offers little direct benefit for entering the wider distilling industry, especially for grain based spirits.
Some motivated students have pursued postgraduate study following viticulture degrees, using brandy production and/or fortification as a means to conduct research in distillation and associated topics, bridging relevant research to be applied in whisky making, but this is certainly a circumnavigation of the issue, and it neglects to address the hugely important brewing aspect of whisky production.
Of course it’s not mandatory for one to have a university degree to be a good brewer or distiller, though it certainly can’t hurt, and it is a major advantage to a national industry if academics in those areas are available internally. As Bill Lark loves to say, a rising tide lifts all boats. Accordingly, a number of distilleries seeking to improve their production, whether that be viewed as efficiencies, product consistency, desired flavours or other metrics, are importing talent from elsewhere. Hellyers Road currently has a distiller with a master’s degree in brewing science from Germany - nice chap - and Mighty Craft quickly promoted Scottish expat George Campbell (formerly the process leader for Balvenie and Glenfiddich) from a distiller role to a position overseeing production and logistics for all their distilleries in South Australia. As an aside, from the relatively limited fraction of Australian whisky I’ve sampled, the distilleries that have invested in improved production utilising similarly educated and experienced individuals have a better track record of making good whisky. Naturally, just my two cents.
Comparatively, almost every other major whisky producing nation has a leg up on us from an education and/or brewer/distiller experience perspective.
The Americas also have historic wine making and academic wine making institutions, but more importantly, the USA has a long history of bourbon production with much collaborative research, particularly in Southern USA universities. It has also benefited from decades worth of the Western craft beer movement, including resultant craft beer and brewing education.
Ireland, by current historical records, have the Scots beat for earliest distillation of grain fermented alcohol. Need we mention Diageo’s genesis too?
Continental Europe had relatively easy access to UK institutions until Brexit, and indeed many countries in Europe have been refining alcohol production from many ingredients for far longer than Australia has been Westernised. Much of Europe’s historic beer production for instance.
Taketsuru san brought whisky production to Japan more than a century ago, and they have the brewing heritage and research of sake production to rely on too. There is also a strong culture of alcoholic beverage research in the Universities of Japan, including whisky production.
This is all to say that the industry, by a number of tests and metrics, is young. In my incredibly brief time in domestic whisky production, I have already been present to witness a number of shocking events*. Things that would make well qualified distillers the world over shudder and cringe. Among the worst of them have been;
A condenser failure mid-way through a stripping run, for reasons beyond the knowledge of the distillery in question, which caused ethanol/water steam to visibly emanate from the condenser’s exit. Nobody noticed until I pointed out an odd smell which began to accumulate so as to be smelled strongly more than 10 metres from the condenser. There were multiple ignition sources in the area, not least of all the stills’ elements.
An LPG forklift being driven between a pair of stills with no exclusion zones around either still, and minimal clearance on either side. Both stills were operating at the time.
Regular beer/wine pumps (centripetal with electric motor) used to move spirits from vessel to vessel. This is an ignition risk, given the pumps weren’t built with flame proof motors or other high ethanol content safety features. The default method for moving spirits at lower volumes (distillery operations) is using gravity pumps and/or compressed air.
Stills being run, using open-to-environment electric elements under the still body with basic packing insulation around them, with still doors which didn’t seal properly due to play in the latching mechanism. Partially condensed vapour had in the past, according to the distiller I was chatting with, dripped down the body of the still from the leaky seal, contacted the elements and ignited the spirit all the way back up the drip’s path to the still’s door. The solution to the problem? A folded piece of thin cardboard jammed into the latching mechanism to eliminate play. This had to be done every time the door was shut for a distillation run.
*None of these occurred at the distillery I work with.
For obvious legal reasons, I can’t disclose the location(s) of these incidents. Suffice to say, I was gobsmacked that distillery/equipment design and operation could allow such things to occur. Yes, steps have been taken to fix each of these problems since I brought them to the attention of the appropriate individuals, but the fact that there is so little enforced process regulation to mitigate these risks should hopefully further the explanation of my views of the domestic industry. Luckily, the Australian government has begun to crack down on these safety issues, and many distilleries are preparing accordingly for the resultant audits.
I mentioned earlier that the domestic wine industry being as large and prolific in alcoholic beverage production as they are has had other effects on Australian whisky. There are a few cultural impacts here - for one, it’s rather easy to sell most domestic consumers on some grand notion of whisky terroir, given the prevalence it enjoys in our wine marketing. Other subtle factors include a deference to wine making techniques, such as temperature controlling fermentations (in instances that the distillery can afford or facilitate the equipment to do so) such that yeast stress factors are kept low. In fairness, this is also a brewing technique, but I would argue that winemakers have championed the attitude more prominently in whisky making circles.
Temperature control for lower fermentation temperatures makes sense in much of brewing and winemaking, where stress factors can induce undesirable flavours and yeast autolysis, but makes significantly less sense for whisky making (context dependant) since it reduces ester, fusel alcohol and free fatty acid concentrations in wash, all of which contribute significantly to whisky flavour.
Reduction in autolysis by adjusted yeast kinematics also impacts the secondary bacterial fermentation (largely LAB bacteria) in longer fermentations, which also significantly impacts whisky flavour.
Of course, there are many Aus whisky distilleries, including Sullivans Cove and many others in Tasmania, that don’t even make their own wort or wash, outsourcing the process to local breweries instead. Due to the scale and sanitary nature of most domestic breweries, this also significantly impacts whisky flavour for a plethora of reasons, many of which I’ve written about in previous articles, but the extent of which goes beyond the scope of this article. If anyone has any specific questions, feel free to ask in the comments section.
Probably the most obvious and direct impact from the wine industry though, aside from the academics, is the influence of wine production on cask pricing and availability. Australia being as isolated as it is from other countries which grow oak, cooper casks en masse and utilise said casks for alcohol production leaves us in a deficit of casks for maturing whisky.
The bulk of cask imports are motivated by their use for the wine industry; more French/European than American, generally, although some American is used for fortified wine maturation. The wine industry uses the casks for as long as the wood is useful for the individual wineries’ purposes, then they are sold on to whisky makers, usually at a significantly discounted rate compared to the import prices. The exceptions are some of the particularly old fortified casks, which usually command a premium due to the long term seasoning of the barrel. These are desirable for some Australian producers looking to maximise oxidative wine characters, though in my opinion the effect is generally overbearing.
What this means is that compared to most of the rest of the world, for whom ex-bourbon barrels are usually the cheapest maturation vessel, domestic wine and fortified casks are significantly cheaper and easier to acquire than casks which previously held internationally produced beverages. Coupled with the higher average temperatures and dramatic diurnal ranges much of Australia is famous for, these wine casks contribute a massive amount of wine character to much of the industry, and in very short periods of time.
In my opinion, it is the single most common and uniting theme of our domestically produced whisky. Some people love it; for those that enjoy tannic, vinous and rancio characters in abundance, the majority of Australian whisky will probably be up your alley. Personally, I find the bulk of it somewhere between fairly two dimensional and outright detestable.
I would argue that many Australian whiskies have a character that is not unlike blending a portion of oxidised red wine, tawny or other fortified wines into an underaged whisky with few discernible spirit characterstics, save for the overt youth. I know, because I’ve subjected myself and some of my peers to exactly that; blind tastings using Australian whisky from various wine/fortified casks and doctoring young UK whiskies with the same styles of wines and fortifieds. The results were fairly condemning.
One should note that there is an emerging trend, especially for some of the more mature distilleries, to move away from these wine casks and toward more traditional formats, including ex-bourbon casks, but this is still in the vast minority by volume compared with wine cask utilisation.
Naturally, the propensity for Australian distillers to use these wine casks is also aided by the broad preferences of many Australian palates to vinous characteristics. Commercially, Australian wine is a particularly popular drinks category, especially in relatively affluent markets for whom wine consumption also carries certain traditional associations with class and fine culture. Many of the same associations which are enjoyed by malt whisky, if we’re speaking frankly. Though this cultural phenomenon is far from unique to Australia, it is more prominent than in many other parts of the world for whom wine production and export are not so fiscally significant.
From a critical-acclaim viewpoint, wine casks can tend to be viewed favourably too, given the massive overlap between wine and spirits judging. Despite assertions that whisky’s closest relative beverage is beer, there seems to be a long standing history that its culture and consumption are associated with wine. For instance, The International Wine & Spirit Competition, one of the most prolific and well regarded awards organisations in the world. Please infer what you will from my phrasing of “Awards organisations” as opposed to “Competitions”.
The bias towards wine among whisky judges runs even deeper in Australia, given that one of our only certifying bodies for beverage evaluation is the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET). Furthermore, given there is largely a dearth of domestically qualified whisky experts, many of the competitions/awards organisations operating in Australia rely on the use of judges whose expertise actually lies in wine, including a number of well regarded wine makers. Though we’re lucky to have the wine industry to rely on so far as judges with varying degrees of formalised organoleptic training, to be blunt, I can’t think of any group more inherently biassed toward the appreciation of wine cask maturation.
Anyway - perhaps our greatest export demonstrating this overt vinous element is Starward, which now seems to constitute the most significant representation of Australian whisky in international markets, both by volume and distribution range (thanks to the involvement of Diageo, naturally). Hats off to the company; they’re incredibly successful, and many seem to be fans of just about everything they release. Certainly the San Francisco World Spirit Competition were pleased, awarding a “Perfect flight”, that being all gold or double gold medals for each entry, and dubbing Starward their “Most awarded distillery in the world”. Their success is irrefutable.
The quality though? Having that two dimensional, one trick pony liquid represent the country to international consumers? I find it an incredibly reductive representation of our industry.
There are a handful of producers making some very interesting, complex and/or innovative whiskies. Not all of it is good, but there are those that at least put the effort in to make a characterful spirit without utterly obscuring it with an obscene amount of wine character. Unfortunately, those producers usually don’t have whisky available for sale outside of domestic markets, so it becomes very difficult for the global interpretation of Australian whisky to be much other than wine soaked and underaged. Again, just my two cents.
Lastly, it would be negligent of me to discuss Australian whisky without at least touching on the economics of the situation. Firstly, Australian made spirits are now taxed at one of the highest excise rates in the world at just over $100 AUD/LPA. This, as well as the average Aus distillery’s ubiquitously low economies of scale, drive the prices of domestic whisky through the roof. Given the economic struggles being felt around the globe presently, this spells out a good measure of trouble for craft distillers.
Many have little economic backing, and insolvency is a looming threat with little buffer for many producers. Eventually, these factors must precipitate - the expansion in number of whisky distilleries is undeniably unsustainable, and most of the informed members of the industry agree that a crunch is coming. Many distilleries will not survive, and those that do are likely to become targets for acquisition by companies which can offer the capital needed to stabilise distillery economics and expand operations, probably with an aim to extend those acquired distilleries’ products into international markets in order to generate required cash flow.
Of course, this would be a serious blow to many individuals in the industry, however it may well be the route necessary to develop Australian whiskies into a serious, mature state. At present, the Australian government is clearly stating that they do not consider domestic spirits production to be a significant or sustainable source of revenue, such as they do with the domestic wine industry, otherwise lobbying in spirit excise reduction would have had much more success to date. It may be that the partial collapse, reconstruction and resultant commercialisation of the industry is also necessary for the government to reconsider this stance. Quite sad if true…
Review 1/4
Old Kempton, The Old Stables Single Malt, 40.5% ABV
AUS$150 (£80) AUS$70 paid
Old Kempton is a Tasmanian producer with a bit of time in production under their belts; the distillery is typically mentioned along with Lark, Sullivans Cove and Overeem. Some of the prices they demand are indicative of this. I only picked this bottle up due to a major retail chain clearing their stock in a handful of stores at a very low price - at worst, I figured it would make for an interesting bottle to pick apart at one of my club tastings. At the price I paid compared to usual RRP… it’s still going into a club tasting.
Nose
Young. Indeed, we can still see the new make in it. Cut pears, Play-Doh (I find this almost ubiquitous in young Aus malts) and some vinous cask tones bordering on oxidised cheeses- could still be some light tails influence that hasn’t yet dissipated due to the age. It might also be from the casks, depending on their storage - who knows? Some slightly herbal/floral tones in the mix, though they’re still fairly redolent of new make.
Palate
A little better. There’s a better connection to the malt now, and some of the oak can be felt behind the casks’ previous liquids; some vanillin and mild baking spices. Otherwise it’s much the same, particularly that Play-Doh and vinous interaction with florals in support.
The Dregs
This is, by and large, actually pretty clean. But it is completely indicative of how much of the industry operates. The youth does a disservice to the overall composition, and given the degree of cask influence at whatever age this bottling is, had the whisky been allowed to mature much longer in the same casks there’s a very good chance it would have become over-extracted, at least to my palate. We’re told nothing of the casks, but one imagines these were re-coopered port/apera/wine casks by majority, as is typical. The flavour isn’t offensive by virtue of the relatively clean distillate, but the RRP for a 500ml bottle at 40.5% is also quintessentially Australian, thus must lose a full point for value.
Score: 3/10
Review 2/4
Two Doctors, Single Malt, Cask 15, 52% ABV
AUS$295 (£155)
Thankfully, the remnants of this bottle were given to me as a bonus for covering a staffing gap to pour whisky at a festival held in Adelaide earlier this year. There is basically zero chance I would have paid the asking price for it. That said, the six year age statement and ABV are much improved from the Old Stables specs, so let’s have a squiz at the juice.
Nose
The port cask impact is evident, but not domineering. Some stewed fruits at play, somewhere between dark stone varieties and figs, mild cask spices and only a mild vinous tinge in the mix. Some biscuity malt at play too, and the beginnings of orchard fruits coming from the longer matured spirit too, supported by light florals. That said, it still has a wee touch of that youthful Play-Doh about it.
Palate
More of the port cask now; stewed fruits, comparatively more vinous than the nose, florals geared to the wine elements. A touch tannic to boot. The malt is still present though, with what was present of the Play-Doh thankfully morphing more toward butter menthols, and there’s a little fruit ’n nut mix developing too. A bit of rancio through the finish. Mild dilution (3-5% ABV) seems to dissipate some of the spirit character while doing little to soften the vinous and rancio elements; not recommended then.
The Dregs
A more pleasurable dram than the Old Kempton, particularly from an absence of new make qualities, at least for my palate. That said, it’s still ludicrously expensive. About 80% more expensive than the Old Stables per unit of pure alcohol in fact. That said, there’s every possibility this is 80% or more older than the Old Stables, so perhaps the value isn’t much worse. Regardless, it must still lose a full point by value proposition in my books.
Score 4/10
Review 3/4
Archie Rose, Single Malt, Batch 002, 46% ABV
AUS$125 (£65)
Well, we come to the first of the malts made by one of the big boys. Big by Australian metrics at least; their new distillery rivals the scale of pretty much any other malt whisky producers with commercial offerings in the country. Archie Rose are also one of the most contentious distilleries among other whisky distillers/distilleries down under; I won’t get into the weeds on the topic, but their submission of a patent for their multi-malt stream distilling/vatting procedure has ruffled the feathers of many independent Aus distilleries. Given the tumultuous legal proceedings, we won’t delve into the topic any further, nor will I offer my opinion on the matter. Feel free to read between the lines though.
Nose
Mocha, leaning toward the ristretto end of the spectrum, but with evident milk chocolate and creme brulee. The roasted malt here is as strong as any other whisky I’ve had utilising the ingredient; think Glenmorangie Signet. Apera casks offer some dried fruit and baking spices, while the bourbon and rye cask components support the profile with vanillins and soft coconut. Some hints of roasted almonds and amaretto in the mix too. This is almost the antithesis of the first two malts.
Palate
As per the nose; the mocha is just as strong, though there’s a little more brulee/caramelised lift now, and the apera cask fruits have picked up a mild berry/currant lean. There’s still just a pinch of Play-Doh in the mix indicating age, but it’s almost an order of magnitude less present than the others, especially given the roasted malt tones. Very tidy.
The Dregs
Say what you will, the malt vatting process employed here works, at least for my preferences. The roasted malt is well utilised, and whilst it’s certainly a prominent feature, doesn’t detract from the other elements. There’s balance even at this relative extreme. Furthermore, it’s the first whisky in the line up thus far that represents some objective value. It’s not cheap for what it is, but given the limited availability of whiskies with prominent roasted malt flavours, one could argue it’s fairly priced, especially given the majority of Australian whisky’s pricing.
Score 6/10
Review 4/4
Fleurieu & Black Gate, Country to Coast collaboration No.2, Single Malt, 48% ABV
AUS$200 (£105)
For those that have been suffering through my reviews right from the beginning, you may recall that Fleurieu was the first whisky I reviewed for Dramface a bit over a year ago. Full disclosure; I have a friendly relationship with both Gareth & Angela Andrews, having bought and enjoyed their whiskies for a while now. The principle reason for that is that I enjoy the whisky they make, and I probably wouldn’t have gotten to know them otherwise. That said, there are certainly still releases that I enjoy more than others, and as with the Ecto Gamat, this is one of those favoured releases. Made in collaboration with Black Gate Distillery in rural NSW, this release is made of peated malt whisky stocks matured in apera and tawny casks, blended together by Gareth.
I would also like to highlight that the Andrews operated a brewery on the same site (the Steam Exchange Brewery) as their current distillery prior to making whisky. The background in brewing has, by Gareth’s own admission, been a key component of developing the competencies which have undoubtedly contributed to making their whiskies so popular in Australia.
While I haven’t yet had the pleasure of meeting any of the team associated with Black Gate distillery, I’m told they have a small but effectual set up, utilising a few processes contributing some distinct character to their whiskies and rums. Among said processes, I believe their stills (630L wash capacity and 300L for spirit) are direct fired.
Nose
By Australian standards, this has a fair whack of peat. By Scottish standards, it probably falls into the medium-peat camp. Savoury wood smoke, mild bacon, a touch of herbes de provence, green melon rind, some underlying malt, light citrus oils and a hint of some lanolin and barnyard, which could be a tinge of the tails cuts necessary to acquire the phenolics. Perhaps some of the Black Gate in the mix? That said, the slight funkiness is a distinct positive.
The casks are evident with figs, berries and stone fruits, both stewed and dried, but the intensity is balanced and supports the profile rather than obscuring details. The oak itself adds moderate vanilla, clove and fleetings of ginger snap biscuits.
Palate
Follows from the nose, though the slight funkiness is further reduced, the overarching themes becoming the sweet/savoury balance between the casks and the peat. There’s still a nice fruity citrus lift oscillating between lemon and orange, more mild herbs and malt, meanwhile the peat billows on with wood smoke and various smallgoods. Same fortified fruits again, the apera aspects seeming to shine over the port, as is my preference. A touch of water (circa 3% ABV dilution) brings out more clove oriented baking spices, as well as some spirit esters geared to banana and baked apple.
The Dregs
Good stuff; one thing I’ll give apera casks is that anecdotally, they tend to have a lower incidence and intensity (if present at all) of sulfur taint than many sherry casks. The same can’t be said for the wine casks, which makes sense when one considers the relative stability of unsulfured table wines vs fortified wines. Anyway, this is a tasty whisky. I’ve had insufficient opportunity to sample Black Gate’s peated malts, but by comparison with the Ecto Gamat, I feel this bottling has just a little added funk. Whether that’s attributable to the Black Gate or not remains a question to interrogate Gareth over. At any rate, this is very well blended. Fleurieu are actively moving away from first fill fortified casks, especially tawny casks, preferring instead their refill fortified and bourbon casks married together with balance of spirit, maturation and cask in mind. The price is still fairly stiff, but at a little over two thirds the price of the Two Doctors, and cheaper than the Old Kempton per equivalent volume, I’m opting to leave the score unadjusted by value.
Score 7/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. TK