Distillers in Focus

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DISTILLERS in Focus

A wonderful eruption of local distillers has taken place in Australia over the last few years – yet that is not to say that there weren’t any here before. Often when old meets new you get something truly eclectic and in this case, we find ourselves with a fantastic mix of passionate producers championing award-winning spirits. From premium XO brandy to avant-garde gins, it’s all happening right on our doorstep.

WORDS HANNAH SPARKS

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Hellyers Road Distillery

A TALE OF TWO In the unlikely city of Burnie, Tasmania, where the coast meets country, is a cooperative of dairy farmers producing some of Australia’s best whisky.

In 1997, at a time when the rest of Australia wasn’t concentrating on locally made spirits, the visionary dairy farmers at Betta Milk quietly began planning the build of a distillery where they would craft premium single malts. Set on neighbouring fields, the location was perfect - taking advantage of the locally grown barley, cool climate, clean air and pure rainwater driven in from the infamous Bass Straight that surrounds the area.

In 1999, the Tasmanian Whisky Proprietary as it was known then, would place its first whisky into barrels. It would be seven years before it would see the bottle, the distillery’s minimum age requirement, but when it reached the public in 2006, it was evident they had captured something special. People loved their whisky, and in 2010 it was awarded the title of Australia’s Best Whisky.

The distillery’s current name pays tribute to the man that entitled the original name of the road it sits on. The famous explorer and surveyor Henry Hellyer was well known for taking the road less travelled and his emblem is a reminder of the farmers’ patience, tenacity and decision to take a different path.

Hellyers Road has a range of age statement, pinot noir and port cask finished whiskies, plus special releases. The most popular is the Single Malt Original 10 Year, which showcases the distillery’s signature characteristics of vanilla and citrus. Combining the two tales, the distillery has also created a rich Cream Liqueur, using cream from the dairy business and three to fiveyear-old whisky from Hellyers.

HELLYERS ROAD DISTILLERY 153 Old Surrey Road, Burnie, TAS 7320 (03) 6433 0439 Opening Hours: Mon-Sun: 10am-4.30pm

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CRAFTING CLASSICS THROUGH TIME To make brandy, you need grapes, and in South Australia, there are bucket loads. That’s where family winemakers Angove, which owns vineyards across the state’s best known regions, established a brandy distillery in 1910.

The idea was first generation Dr. William Angove’s; he had wanted to make a plain spirit for fortifying wine and set up the distillery and barrel halls in the town of Renmark. It was his son Carl, however, in 1925 who established brandy making at St Agnes. With a passion for distilling and travel, he went to Cognac – for brandy is the same as Cognac, all but in the name - to learn from the very best and developed a style that was lighter and more delicate than other Australian brandies at the time.

It is this history that has put St Agnes on the map for our best brandy and even Best In World, three times in fact, with old reserves allowing the distillery to create VSOP (very superior old pale) and XO (extra old) brandies, up to 40 years old.

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Kangaroo Island Spirits

HOP TO AUSTRALIA’S FIRST GIN DISTILLERY Kangaroo Island Spirits is the original and one of the best when it comes to Australian gin.

Power couple Jon and Sarah Lark were inspired to open Australia’s first gin dedicated distillery in 2006, after returning from a trip to the UK where they visited one of the country’s leading producers of the spirit.

Their success is far from a lucky stab in the dark, however, with Jon coming from a long lineage of Australian distillers. His brother, Bill Lark, is recognised for starting Australia’s first boutique distillery in Tasmania and produces one of our best-known whiskies, Lark Whisky.

Master Distiller Ben Horley

The quality of St Agnes brandy must also be mentioned here, hand crafted every step of the way and double distilled slowly in copper pot stills, a job that only five Master Distillers have ever held, with Ben Horley the most current.

Brandy is a balance between art and science - taking wine, distilling it, and leaving it to age in barrels. This means that St Agnes is a quiet place for most of the year, apart from three months, when vintage takes place. It’s all hands on deck during this period to get the grapes as soon as they’ve been picked into fermentation. The rest of the year is when Ben and his trusty team of four tend to the spirit in small French and American oak barrels, making sure the brandy marries with the wood to gain concentration of flavour and colour. This is also a time for visitors, who are welcome by appointment each day to tour the distillery, see the process and taste the award-winning 15 Year Old XO in the old barrel halls.

ST AGNES DISTILLERY Bookmark Avenue, Renmark, SA 5341 (08) 8580 3148 Opening Hours: 10.30am (by appointment only)

What makes Jon and Sarah’s gin stick out from the bunch is their innovative use of native botanicals and continued dedication to traditional, handcrafted distilling methods.

Their most popular, Old Tom Gin, is a slightly sweet gin, aged in French oak for about a month and made with locally foraged botanicals such as juniper, coastal daisy bush, lemon and aniseed myrtle. More recently, the couple has also begun making infused vodkas and liqueurs, experimenting with Kangaroo Island delicacies such as honey, green walnuts, limes and ginger.

Keen for a visit? No points for guessing where to find the distillery, but be sure to give yourself a day, with Kangaroo Island Spirits located a 45-minute ferry ride from Adelaide and a further 45-minute drive once you’ve reached the remote island. On arrival, sit back in Jon and Sarah’s Gin Garden and enjoy a selection of their top spirits, coffee and platters of local produce. Or if you’re looking for a little more action, book onto one of their personalised tours or try your hand at making a gin (bookings essential).

KANGAROO ISLAND SPIRITS 856 Playford Highway, Cygnet River, SA 5223 (08) 8553 9211 Opening Hours: Mon – Sun: 11am – 5.30pm`

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Great Ocean Road, Timboon Railway Shed Distillery

BARRELS OF HISTORY The Timboon Railway Shed Distillery is owned and operated by Josh Walker with the help of his partner Caitlin. A local entrepreneur who had been experimenting with home brewing for a few years, in 2015 the 26-year-old decided to turn his hand to spirits when he saw the distillery was for sale in the local paper.

A trip to visit several artisan distillers in Kentucky, US and some time with the distillery’s former owners to learn the craft gave Josh the confidence he needed to start making whiskies, flavoured vodkas and liqueurs.

Josh can now be found on most days managing all of the distilling from the 600L still that sits in the corner of the distillery’s restaurant. A short drive in-land from The Great Ocean Road, most visitors here drop in for lunch, choosing from one of Timboon’s seasonal dishes, and see where the magic happens. Members of the public can also enjoy some of the local history, with signs of the original Timboon railway station found within the building. And if you’re lucky, you might also hear the infamous tale of Tom Delaney, Timboon’s notorious distiller in the 1890s.

Delaney was well known amongst locals for his whisky and Josh is also quickly making a name for himself with his single malts. Using mostly ex-Australian fortified wine barrels, Josh creates whiskies rich in flavour, and this year Timboon’s Single Malt Whisky Christies Cut won Bronze at the Australian Distilled Spirit Awards.

Timboon’s other spirits include the sweet and earthy Otway Saffron Vodka and Premium Snake Track Vodka – a grain based spirit with a touch of vanilla. For those with a sweet tooth, we recommend a dash of Jim Love’s Strawberry Schnapps or Timboon’s delicious Coffee Cream Liqueur.

Unable to get to the distillery? You can find Timboon’s spirits online on its website or at Nick’s Wine Merchants and several small bars in Melbourne.

TIMBOON RAILWAY SHED DISTILLERY The Railway Yard.

1 Bailey Street, Timboon, VIC 3268 (03) 5598 3555 Opening Hours: Mon – Sun: 10am – 4.30pm

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Hoochery Distillery owner Raymond ‘Spike’ Dessert III

DINKY-DI AUSSIE KIMBERLY SPIRIT Distillery owner Raymond ‘Spike’ Dessert III fell in love with the Kimberley when he first arrived from America in 1972 to develop his seed business in the rich and fertile soils of the Ord River Valley.

In 1995, with the booming sugar industry in the area, he found a way to diversify his dream and create Western Australia’s oldest, continuously operating, legal distillery.

Built on his farm just outside of Kununurra, he founded a small pot distillery, which has the capacity to produce over 50,000 bottles of rum a year.

Ord River Rum is thought to be the very first rum produced in Western Australia and is gaining a reputation as a genuine, traditional rum, winning Champion Rum four years in a row.

Known as the Hoochery, the distillery is proudly 100 per cent Australian-owned and familyoperated by Spike, his partner, two daughters and son. It uses locally grown ingredients wherever possible and its mascot, a red-eyed crocodile, can be found on every bottle.

Ord River Rum is made from local sugar cane and wet season rainwater, it is vat fermented, potdistilled, aged in oak barrels and hand-bottled.

The spirit is aged in 300-litre oak barrels, which naturally colours and flavours the rum, resulting in

a smooth tropical flavour with an oaky finish.

Earlier this year, Spike also released the 5 Rivers Tropical Spiced Rum due to popular demand.

While other spiced rums use cinnamon and vanilla, this one is made with the boab nut and mango, and it’s been a popular hit at the distillery.

Hoochery’s showroom is an old country saloon bar, built by the family and complete with an old piano and chandeliers. Guests here can view the barreling room, talk to the staff and take a guided tour, as well as try products including the Ord River Rum Cake – a secret

VISIT Distillery Botanica Owner and Master Distiller Philip Moore

BOTANICAL EXPRESSIONS After 20-plus years as a trained horticulturist and herbalist, Philip Moore decided to explore the art of distilling, focusing on showcasing Australian botanicals, using handcrafted techniques.

Philip bought a small still in 2006 and begun learning his craft through experiments – sometimes 100 a day – and any books he could get his hands on.

recipe and just one of the many rum flavoured cakes made by Spike’s wife that can be enjoyed at the distillery with tea.

HOOCHERY DISTILLERY 300 Weaber Plain Road, Kununurra, WA 6743 (08) 9168 2467 Opening Hours: Dry season: Mon-Sun: 9am-4pm Wet season: Mon-Fri: 9am-4pm Sat: 9am-12pm

Discovering that many of his experiments were palatable, Philip looked to find a more permanent office. With an early passion for liqueurs, the rustic wooden shed and its surrounding 2.5 acres of luscious gardens, now known as Distillery Botanica on the Central Coast of New South Wales, seemed fitting. Phillip could grow and use ingredients from the gardens in his spirits and visitors can easily travel from Sydney to the distillery.

Philip still makes a range of premium liqueurs, including the popular Mr Black Coffee Liqueur that has taken off in bars across the country, plus a vodka, but more recently he has turned his attention to one of the most on-trend tipples right now – gin.

Moore’s Vintage Dry Gin is one of Australia’s originals and was the first ever Australian gin to win a Gold Medal at the prestigious 2017 International Wine and Spirit Competition. It features a blend of traditional gin botanicals such as juniper and coriander, as well as native botanicals including macadamia and Illawarra plum to create a new age, uplifting gin.

Stepping outside of his place of tranquility and into another, this year Philip also partnered with the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney to create another gin using more exotic botanicals. Using the unique method of enfleurage, Rather Royal Gin captures the aromatic essence of each botanical, ranging from Pope John Paul roses to curry leaves and chamomile. And in the spirit of sustainability, 50 per cent of profits of the gin goes back to the Garden’s conservation programs.

DISTILLERY BOTANICA 25 Portsmouth Road, Erina, NSW 2250 (02) 4365 3968 Opening Hours: Wed-Sun: 10am-5pm

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