Through some shared experiences and exciting evenings of whisky tastings, things were changing. 2013 rolls around and the whisky scene for them is starting to really warm up. Chez Regine changes name and layout and becomes Whisky & Alement as we know and love it today. Things really kick up a gear both for them and for The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, who proudly count W&A as the flagship Victorian Partner Bar. The Never-Ending Cask is born, along with regular tastings and an ever-changing backbar of interesting malts at attractive prices. An incredible array of Society casks goes from a few each month, to the whole Outturn each month back in 2017. Whisky bars in that precinct increase from one to now quite a sizeable handful. It was then in 2017 that Melbourne Whisky Room and the iconic ‘Society Archive Cabinet’ were unveiled. A collection of single casks from yesteryear that are timepieces of flavour being gradually re-released through the bar. In 2018, we worked closely with the team at Whisky & Alement on the release of their selected 68.18 “Triple berry Lamington cake”. A Deep, rich & dried fruits flavour profile, heavily-charred single cask,
which has an almost cult-like status today. A milestone of our partnership and exclusive to W&A. Then, in 2019, Brooke & Jules and the team embarked on completely changing up their menu structure for the Melbourne Whisky Room. Instead of focusing on brands and age statements, the Melbourne whisky scene had developed into something deeper. The focus was now on flavour. Distillery names took a backseat along with all the branding and hype, and labels such as ‘Rich and sherried’ or ‘Smoky and salty’ graced the categories, opting to make flavour first. It was around this same time while talking with Jules that we worked out that the next W&A exclusive cask would really need to astound in flavour. Really take that next step in the evolution of their story, of their bar, of the entire Melbourne whisky scene that they had created, forged, and sustained. After a box of samples, some dedicated and critical spirit assessment, and keeping the wraps on this until the sneak peek at our Virtual Pub session, we’re proud to finally announce the release of Cask 72.89 Pirate’s breakfast juice. Matured for 6 years in an ex-bourbon barrel before being transferred to a Nicaraguan rum 13