Best Spirits in Australia

  1. Amazingly bold and exciting drink. It's a great standalone product that completely transcends the category. Is it even a brandy ?

    01. Sullivans Cove XO Tasmanian Brandy - Double Cask Batch DCB01

    State: Tasmania Category: Brandy
  2. Grown-up butterscotch candies. Though it begins a little austere and tightly wound, this whisky opens up beautifully. Classic. Aussie. Whisky. Excellent.

    02. Hobart Whisky - 19-002 - Ex-Bourbon Matured / French Oak Pinot Noir Finish

    State: Tasmania Category: Whisky
  3. Bright nose of hops and peat (is this mezcal?!) on a super-clean base, remarkable distillate and elevated botanicals of celery seed and cucumber. Beautiful smoky phenolic grip balanced by a persistent, but restrained sweet spice.

    03. Pinche - Agave Tequilana

    State: New South Wales Category: Alternate / Experimental
  4. This gin is mature, thoughtful and incredibly well executed. It's accessible, nothing about this gin is trying too hard, and why should it? It's already arrived. The all-rounder.

    04. Never Never - Triple Juniper Gin

    State: South Australia Category: Gin
  5. Classic grappa profile. No-nonsense and super direct, it's crunchy and punchy and fiery without being harsh. Lots of personality, as you would expect. World-class.

    05. Needle & Pin Spirits - Grappa Tradizionale

    State: South Australia Category: Brandy
  6. At once both sweet and savoury, serious and gregarious. Willy Wonka's factory has been firebombed, and all the kids are dancing in the embers. Fun!

    06. Archie Rose - Archie Rose Rye Malt Whisky

    State: New South Wales Category: Whisky
  7. Amazing citrus, floral and ginger spice aroma - immediately hinting at sweetness, resolved on the palate with a pristine clarity and pleasantly-lifted acidiity and lingering bitterness. Great summertime aperitivo.

    07. Reed & Co - Spirit Lab Gin & Juice (Mistelle)

    State: Victoria Category: Alternate / Experimental
  8. Creme caramel and hard toffees, warm and creamy on the palate. It unfolds calmy and elegantly along the palate and remains consistent throughout the drinking experience. DELICIOUS.

    08. Sullivans Cove XO Tasmanian Brandy - Single Cask TDB0018

    State: Tasmania Category: Brandy
  9. Rich and elegant delivery of the delicious, sweet berry flavours. There's balance here too with bold savoury notes. A stunning colour, a stunning drink.

    09. Marionette - Dry Cassis

    State: Victoria Category: Liqueur
  10. Wild thyme with a smoky, dank intensity and pleasant, bright finger lime, juniper and cassia aromats. The density of the oils is beautiful, smooth and lingering all the way to the finish. Great execution of a difficult style with an amazing level of intrigue. Yummy.

    10. The Farmer's Wife Distillery - The Farmer's Wife Autumn Dry Gin

    State: New South Wales Category: Gin

Category Winners


Gin

  1. 01.

    Never Never Distilling Co. - Triple Juniper Gin

    State: South Australia

    TASTING NOTES:
    Fresh pine and great clarity of juniper on the nose. What a juniper bomb. Nice viscosity in the mouth. Spice and heat are restrained. Powerful, yet focussed. A blockbuster gin.

  2. 02.

    The Farmer's Wife Distillery - The Farmer's Wife Autumn Dry Gin

    State: New South Wales

    TASTING NOTES:
    Wild thyme with a smoky, dank intensity and pleasant, bright finger lime, juniper and cassia aromats. The density of the oils is beautiful, smooth and lingering all the way to the finish. Great execution of a difficult style with an amazing level of intrigue. Yummy.

  3. 03.

    Craft & Co - Navy Strength

    State: Victoria

    TASTING NOTES:
    A fascinating drink. A beautiful fermented rice aromat on the nose. Cardamom and Keen's curry powder on the palate. A truly original gin, incredibly interesting to sip.

  4. 04.

    36 Short - Barrel Aged Gin

    State: South Australia

    TASTING NOTES:
    Butterscotch, vanilla and creme caramel, this is a well-balanced and pleasant spirit. It would be much too easy to drink a bunch, but it doesn't behave like a gin. Drink it dumped over ice!

  5. 05.

    Ounce Gin - Bold

    State: South Australia

    TASTING NOTES:
    Umami-driven salinity plays with the juniper - a brilliant spicy, savoury expression! Brilliant citrus and cassia sweetness flows across the palate. Unassuming, but very well executed! What a beautiful example of what gin can be.

  6. 06.

    Karu Distillery - Affinity Gin

    State: New South Wales

    TASTING NOTES:
    A strong, bold, confident and dashing drop. This is a gin that is proud to be gin. It's smooth and deeply enjoyable and has drinkability for days. Use it for everything.

  7. 07.

    Happenstance Distillery - Fireside Gin

    State: South Australia

    TASTING NOTES:
    So well-defined - there's a clarity of juniper and coriander seed here. The bold, heavy-handed use of juniper bleeds a resinous quality across the palate - an amazing example of a super classical style, incredibly well executed!

  8. 08.

    Archie Rose - Archie Rose Distiller's Strength Gin

    State: New South Wales

    TASTING NOTES:
    Pine fresh! A good, solid, well-made and -executed gin in a classic style. A strong all-rounder.

  9. 09.

    5Nines Distilling - Sticks & Stones

    State: South Australia

    TASTING NOTES:
    Crisp, crunchy celery, loads of beautiful bright green vegetables. Super smooth and steady, this is the right kind of gin for a really nice martini.

  10. 10.

    Needle & Pin Spirits - "Sevilli" Bathtub Style

    State: South Australia

    TASTING NOTES:
    Super intense aromatics of elderflower, jasmine, incense and wild fennel. Old Tom Gin-style palate driven taught and lean with a well-defined texture brought about through a crazy bitter almond kernal back palate. Thrilling drinking - feels like a modern quinquina!


Vodka

  1. 01.

    Heres Looking At You KId - Triple Distilled Vodka

    State: Victoria

    TASTING NOTES:
    Verdant, fresh, mountain air. Very clean, lightly-toasted grain and herbal nose. A good neutral palate; a high quality spirit. A success.

  2. 02.

    Otter Craft Distilling - COCOA VODKA

    State: New South Wales

    TASTING NOTES:
    Beautifully strong aromas of unsweetened baking chocolate and raw cacao. Intense but balanced by a little vanilla. Spirit and flavour are very well integrated. This cacao vodka has absolutely nailed the brief.

  3. 03.

    Archie Rose - Archie Rose Original Vodka

    State: New South Wales

    TASTING NOTES:
    A bit of lemon rind, bright, fresh and clean. Clean palate, not a huge amount of texture. A good example of a perfect, everyday vodka with no faults.

  4. 04.

    Old Young's - Pavlova Vodka

    State: Western Australia

    TASTING NOTES:
    Fruity, super sweet, strawberries and cream. Despite the sweetness, the flavours are fresh and natural. All in all makes for a fun, fruity and slightly frivolous drinking experience. This is a vodka in a pink party dress. Well done!

  5. 05.

    Manly Spirits - Marine Botanical Vodka

    State: New South Wales

    TASTING NOTES:
    Oystery, oceany, briney. Not too crisp; the texture is interesting. A little bit of maritme fun.


Whisky

  1. 01.

    Hobart Whisky - 19-002 - Ex-Bourbon Matured / French Oak Pinot Noir Finish

    State: Tasmania

    TASTING NOTES:
    Grown-up butterscotch candies. Though it begins a little austere and tightly wound, this whisky opens up beautifully. Classic. Aussie. Whisky. Excellent.

  2. 02.

    Archie Rose - Archie Rose Rye Malt Whisky

    State: New South Wales

    TASTING NOTES:
    At once both sweet and savoury, serious and gregarious. Willy Wonka's factory has been firebombed, and all the kids are dancing in the embers. Fun!

  3. 03.

    Timboon Railway Shed Distillery - Christie's Cut Single Malt

    State: Victoria

    TASTING NOTES:
    Big and boozy, packs a punch. It's so intriguing, strong all the way to the finish, with flavours of chestnuts, toffee apple, candied fruit, creamed butter and creaming soda. Balanced with a silky mouthfeel. Nice one!

  4. 04.

    Belgrove Distillery - Rye Whisky

    State: Tasmania

    TASTING NOTES:
    Smooth as. Strong, ripe, verdant rye characteristics. Plenty to like.

  5. 05.

    Riverbourne Enigma - Edition 1 - Whisky Peated - Matured in a 60L Port Cask

    State: New South Wales

    TASTING NOTES:
    There's a delicious umami here, soy and fish sauce. Damp embers from a distant campfire, burnt toffee, but balanced by a maritime salinity. Opens up in the glass rapidly - this whisky is complex and off beat. A real contender.

  6. 06.

    Craft Works Distillery - NMS New Make Spirit Cellar Door Release No1

    State: New South Wales

    TASTING NOTES:
    Powerful! That Milo chocolate and malt delicious feel. This is a great product, ready for the barrel.

  7. 07.

    Timboon Railway Shed Distillery - Port Expression Single Malt

    State: Victoria

    TASTING NOTES:
    Delicate and spritely, with a nice light, easy character. This is a good session whisky. Delicious flavours of custard, creme brulee, and fresh apple blossom dusted with lashings of vanilla and Hubba Bubba gum. Super well-balanced. Party starter right here!

  8. 08.

    Belgrove Distillery - Rye Whisky Cask Strength

    State: Tasmania

    TASTING NOTES:
    The heat on the palate is exciting, a lick of something dangerous and delicious. This is good, strong drinking.

  9. 09.

    Backwoods Distilling Co - Wild Rye

    State: Victoria

    TASTING NOTES:
    What an exemplary new-make malt. Whiffs of Vegemite and a pervasive mustiness that smells comforting and deeply intriguing - it makes this whisky very satisfying to sip.

  10. 10.

    'Fortune' - White Malt

    State: Queensland

    TASTING NOTES:
    Mineral characteristics give way to ample fruitiness. Could almost be a unaged stone fruit brandy, super enjoyable and has so much breadth of flavour.


Rum

  1. 01.

    JimmyRum - Oaked

    State: Victoria

    TASTING NOTES:
    So much going on here, it's hard to identify specific flavours but this isn't a bad thing! This is big, loud and boozy in the best way.

  2. 02.

    JimmyRum - Silver

    State: Victoria

    TASTING NOTES:
    Salty hard-liquorice nose. Sexy! This is pirate rum - the rum you swig from the bottle on deck. Big on the molasses. Big on the good times.

  3. 03.

    Hoochery Distillery - Premium Ord River Rum

    State: Western Australia

    TASTING NOTES:
    The warmth of the spirit here is the take away. It's bold and firm.

  4. 04.

    New Norfolk Distillery - Misty Valley Silver Spirit

    State: Tasmania

    TASTING NOTES:
    Green, fresh, melon; great for a daiquiri. Drink this on a deserted island, in a linen suit. A wonderful expression here.


Brandy

  1. 01.

    Sullivans Cove XO Tasmanian Brandy - Double Cask Batch DCB01

    State: Tasmania

    TASTING NOTES:
    Amazingly bold and exciting drink. It's a great standalone product that completely transcends the category. Is it even a brandy ?

  2. 02.

    Needle & Pin Spirits - Grappa Tradizionale

    State: South Australia

    TASTING NOTES:
    Classic grappa profile. No-nonsense and super direct, it's crunchy and punchy and fiery without being harsh. Lots of personality, as you would expect. World-class.

  3. 03.

    Sullivans Cove XO Tasmanian Brandy - Single Cask TDB0018

    State: Tasmania

    TASTING NOTES:
    Creme caramel and hard toffees, warm and creamy on the palate. It unfolds calmy and elegantly along the palate and remains consistent throughout the drinking experience. DELICIOUS.

  4. 04.

    Charles Oates Distilling - Fine Apple Brandy - Tokay

    State: Tasmania

    TASTING NOTES:
    Crisp fresh Fuji apples, the herbal flavours of tobacco and dry hay in the sunshine. A vibrant, sunny afternoon delight. This has all the makings of a real crowd pleaser.

  5. 05.

    Apple Brandy - Brandy

    State: South Australia

    TASTING NOTES:
    The perfect balance of light and heavy, this is lovely and restrained. A contender!

  6. 06.

    Bass & Flinders Distillery - Ochre Fine Aged Brandy

    State: Victoria

    TASTING NOTES:
    Light and delicate. A really strong product that has a lot of promise. Delicious drinkability.

  7. 07.

    Pietro Gallo Estate - Grappa di Prosecco

    State: Victoria

    TASTING NOTES:
    Mellow, sweet, inviting. Highly drinkable. This is a breakfast grappa if there ever was one - fresh, grape sweetness balanced out by the soft intensity of the heat from the booze.


Liqueur

  1. 01.

    Marionette - Dry Cassis

    State: Victoria

    TASTING NOTES:
    Rich and elegant delivery of the delicious, sweet berry flavours. There's balance here too with bold savoury notes. A stunning colour, a stunning drink.

  2. 02.

    White Possum - Naked Amaretto

    State: Victoria

    TASTING NOTES:
    If this was my bonbonniere I'd be delighted. Great marzipan taste and a textural weight on the tongue that's stunning. 

  3. 03.

    Økar - Økar Amaro

    State: South Australia

    TASTING NOTES:
    Strawberry gum, used to perfection, there's a strong punchy menthol flavour here, this is a taste that's not shy. Nouveau Australian stylings here, take note.

  4. 04.

    Charles Oates Distilling - Pommeau

    State: Tasmania

    TASTING NOTES:
    Easy drinking, approchable apple brandy. There's nothing to add and nothing to take away, delicious, slurpable. Mmmmhmmm.