Australian whisky

Inside Sullivans Cove distillery in Tasmania, Australia

Australian Whisky is whisky produced in Australia. As of December 2021, there were 333 registered distilleries in operation within Australia, of which approximately 50 have a whisky on the market.[1] The industry has shown steady growth since the early 90s especially in the boutique craft distilling scene.[2]

Most Australian whisky is produced using a very similar process to that of Scotch whisky; however the flavour of Australian whisky is subtly different.[3] Although the majority of whisky produced in Australia is in the single malt style, there is more variation than what is found overseas, with no strict customs or traditions governing the styles produced. Other styles of whisky produced in Australia, include rye, wheat and blended whiskies.[2]

Australian whisky was popularised globally in 2014, when Sullivan's Cove French Oak single cask won the world's best single malt whisky at the World Whiskies Awards.[4][5] This was the first time a distillery outside of Scotland or Japan had won this category.[6]

  1. ^ "Australian Distilleries". The Whisky List. Archived from the original on 4 March 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  2. ^ a b "The rise of the craft Australian distilleries - Part 1". www.diffordsguide.com. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  3. ^ Middleton, Chris (2011). "Australian Whisky: Whisky Phoenix Rises - a Short History of Australian Whisky Distillation". Chemistry in Australia. 78: 18–22.
  4. ^ Frost, Vicky (2 April 2014). "Tasmania's latest export: the best whisky in the world". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  5. ^ Colquhoun, Steve (21 March 2014). "Tassie whisky named world's best single malt". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  6. ^ McLaughlin, Martyn; Smith, Claire (30 March 2014). "Best whisky in the world award goes to ... Tasmania". The Scotsman. Retrieved 20 April 2020.