Accompanying Notes: Whisky Advent Calendar 'Railway Hotel'

Hello, whisky.

It’s said that the art of distillation has its roots back in the time of the ancient Babylonians. Evidence of distillation activity as far back as 2000 BC suggests humans have been on the drink for ages. These were crude spirits though, and it was not until thousands of years later, in the 15th Century, that this art would eventually bubble away in Scotland and Ireland and lead to a new spirit known as whisky. In these regions, barley was a readily available resource, and as a result barley based spirits (i.e. malt whisky) flourished.

Whisky distilling know-how soon spread to the new world. White settlers in America started to distill whisky using old methods. But the warmer American climate tended to favour other cereals like corn and rye. Naturally, distillers used whatever they could get their hands on, and so Bourbon whiskies (mostly corn based) and rye whiskies (obviously rye based) emerged as distinctive regional styles.

Whisky, meet Australia.

The modern era of Australian whisky began in the 1990’s when Bill Lark (of Lark Distillery in Tasmania) successfully lobbied the government to allow small distilleries to exist in Australia for the first time in more than a hundred years. There were distilleries before this time but most of them, including the infamous Corio Distillery, were in the business of pumping out massive quantities of poor quality product, ultimately tainting the image of Aussie whisky that is only now starting to heal.

The new Australian whisky movement has swung the other way, focussing obsessively on quality, so much so that local whisky is virtually always in high demand and short supply. Many brands, especially those exclusively releasing single cask whiskies, can often be incredibly difficult to find.

But change happens rapidly in a young and exciting industry. An influx of new distilleries being built has resulted in many more casks being squirreled away for ageing. Established distilleries are also moving toward releasing 'house' styles with more supply and at more accessible price points. The likes of Starward's Two-Fold have, for the last several years, laid down a challenge to others. Manly Spirits, Archie Rose and Top Shelf International (NED Whisky) have probably been the most ambitious in meeting this challenge, with the release of core-range whiskies at a similar price point.

The combination of a soft economy and intense competition in the spirits sector have led to a few distilleries falling into administration and liquidation in the last year or so. And that doesn't yet fully factor in all the whisky that's still ageing in bond stores around the country. Here's hoping we don't lose too much good juice in the years to come!

What's it taste like?

Australian distillers today have the luxury of using a range of ingredients and casks. Cereals can be imported or harvested locally. Peat, if it's used, is generally from local bogs, but we have heard of imported stock. Casks come in a myriad of sizes and 'flavours', with increasing numbers of Aussie distillers using old casks from the various wine regions around Australia. The point is, there are an unlimited number of permutations that each distiller has at their arsenal. Combined with what seems like a keen interest in exploring new techniques, this all means that there isn't yet a ‘typical Aussie whisky’ taste profile. Once again, this is great news for whisky lovers. The diversity in local whisky is truly exciting right now.

This Advent Calendar.

This advent calendar works like just any other, except that instead of lollies and nativity scenes, this one is chock full of premium Australian whisky. Behind every flap is a 30ml dram of the good stuff. Rip it out of its slot and taste a moment in history. Come back to this page to reveal some interesting facts about the liquid you’re sipping and the distillery that made it.

In this edition, we'll be exploring a total of 25 whiskies from various distilleries.

To optimise the tasting experience, we recommend enjoying these whiskies in a Glencairn or a dedicated whisky glass. If these aren't available, a wine glass also works well. We hope you enjoy the journey as much as we did putting it together!

A note about the notes.

Where we have included tasting notes, these have mostly been drawn from the distillers themselves so that you can see what they make of their own creations (and whether you agree)!

Australian Whisky
78 Degrees Distillery, SA

78 Degrees Distillery, previously known as Adelaide Hills Distillery, was founded in 2014 by winemaker Sacha La Forgia, who worked in wineries around the world before a stint at a grappa distillery in Italy where he was inspired to start his own distillery. Upon returning home, he made his own copper still and launched 78 Degrees Distillery in the Adelaide Hills. The distillery has since changed hands a couple of times, including being owned by bigger corporate players, which has caused it to lose a little shine in the eyes of bartenders.

Australian Whiskey is a statement malt aimed at forging something uniquely Australian rather than simply replicating Scottish styles. The journey begins with locally-sourced barley (rain-fed, GM-free South Australian grain) and unmalted barley supplemented with specialty malts - an approach to give texture and flavour from the grain itself. Fermentation is done on the grain (rather than rinsing off husks) to extract additional phenolics and complexity, and the distillation uses a hybrid pot/column still for efficiency and flavour retention. The distillery matures in carefully selected ex-wine and oak casks in the Adelaide Hills climate, allowing the interaction of grain, oak and altitude to build a rich, layered spirit.

Expect layers of caramel, honeyed malt, dried fruits, baking spice, and a subtle toasted finish.

Rye Whisky
Whipper Snapper Distillery, WA

Whipper Snapper Distillery was established in 2014 in Western Australia and has quickly become known for high-quality, grain-centric whisky using local WA crops. Their philosophy centres on “grain to glass” with a strong emphasis on provenance: the rye in their whisky comes from the Fuchsbichler family farm in Bruce Rock (Wheatbelt, WA), where heirloom German rye strains have been grown for over a century. They utilise virgin-charred American oak barrels and maturation in WA’s Mediterranean climate, giving their whiskies a unique interplay of grain purity and robust barrel influence.

This Rye Whisky is crafted from a mash bill of approximately 85% rye and 15% malted barley - that's a very high rye content for the Australian scene. The rye grain is locally grown, and the spirit is matured for four or more years in virgin-charred American oak barrels before being bottled at 48% ABV (single barrel). Importantly, they aren’t chasing overt dill/pickle notes often associated with rye; instead the goal is a fresh, clean rye that expresses its grain and climate rather than replicating an American style.

Expect notes of freshly cut apples, spicy vanilla, rich caramel, hazelnut and orange peel.

Sidetrack Stone Whisky
Husk Distillery, NSW

Husk Distillery, based in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, is primarily known for agricultural rum (cane-juice agricole style) and a strong experimental mindset. Their move into whisky, through the 'Sidetrack' series, shows a willingness to play with mash bills and collaborations. The 'Stone' variant is made in collaboration with Stone & Wood Brewing, meaning the whisky starts from a custom-brew wort derived from the brewery’s malt profile and is then matured on site at Husk. The farm-based setup, proximity to cane fields, and use of local harvests make Husk distinctive: they are not simply borrowing the whisky model but remixing it through their rum-heritage and locale.

Sidetrack Stone Whisky is a one-off release built from brewery-inspired mash, distilled on a Forsyth copper pot still, and matured primarily in ex-rum barrels with hints of brewery wood influence. The idea is to capture a crossover between stout/beer influence and whisky maturation. The result is deeper in roast/grain than many Aussie malts, with a lot of texture and depth.

Expect notes of rich toffee, sticky dried fruit, cocoa nibs and toasted malt.

Winter Release Single Malt
Nonesuch Distillery, TAS

Nonesuch Distillery is a family-run craft operation just outside Hobart, Tasmania, committed to micro-batch production, site-driven flavour and a concept of 'terroir in spirit.' Their philosophy emphasises respectful maturation in the Tasmanian climate and the subtle influence of island freshness, sea air and cold season ageing.

Winter Release Single Malt (2025 edition) is matured in a blend of bourbon and red-wine casks, bottled in extremely limited quantities and intended to evoke the chill, introspective quality of Tasmanian winter. The mash is a standard malt barley bill, but the cask mix and the seasonal 'pause' in colder months give the spirit a thicker mouth-feel and richer aromatic footprint. It’s less about age-statement bravado and more about packaging a moment in time.

Expect notes of charred wood, red berries, dark chocolate and a weighty texture.

Single Malt McWilliam Apera Cask
Backwoods Distilling, VIC

Backwoods Distilling Co. was founded in 2017 by husband-and-wife team Leigh and Bree Attwood, nestled in the picturesque town of Yackandandah in Victoria’s High Country. Initially run out of their shed at home (legally of course), several years ago they outgrew the space and moved into their new premises in town. With the help of their still, nicknamed Stillvester, they operate on local-grain, small-batch lines, leveraging Victoria’s barley supply, mountain spring water, and a diverse selection of reclaimed Australian and imported barrels. Their ethos emphasises an 'Australian whisky style' - one that is shaped by native woods, local climate and creative finishing.

Single Malt McWilliam Apera Cask is part of Backwoods’ Special Reserve philosophy - whisky made to reflect local grain, unique casks and time in-the-bush ageing. In particular the Apera cask finish gives an Australian fortified-wine twist. The mashbill uses 100% Australian-grown malted barley and the spirit rests in ex-Apera casks where it absorbs stone-fruit richness and nutty complexity. The interaction of High Country climate and fortification casks yields a richer mid-palate with an Aussie-edge.

Expect notes of dense dried figs, raisins, smoked honey, vanilla-oak and nutty dried-fruit character

Honeycomb
Starward Distillery, VIC

Starward Distillery, based in Port Melbourne, probably needs no introduction. Founded in 2007 by David Vitale, their mission to craft a distinctly Australian whisky by capitalising on Melbourne’s volatile climate is made possible by forcing the barrels to work harder and mature faster. They were one of the first to release whisky matured in ex-red wine barrels, and embraced local grain and local cooperages. The result is a house style full of ripe fruit, soft oak and approachable strength.

Honeycomb is one of Starward’s most playful limited editions, inspired by the nostalgic crunch of its namesake sweet. Built from their core double-grain spirit (wheat and malted barley) and matured in lightly charred red-wine barrels, it’s infused with honey from Pure Peninsula Honey on the Mornington Peninsula. The result is a whisky with an extra layer of aromatic richness. The honey integrates with Starward’s fruit-forward spirit, amplifying tropical esters, ripe stone fruit and soft vanilla while tempering the spice and oak from the wine casks.

Expect notes of rich honey (!), vanilla, ripe stone fruit, toasted oak and fruitcake.

Barrel House XB
Corowa Distilling, NSW

Corowa Distilling operates from a beautifully restored 1920s flour mill on the banks of the Murray River in southern NSW. The project was born from a group of locals’ passion to breathe new life into the derelict mill and transform it into a working distillery and regional destination. Their philosophy merges historical respect with modern innovation - retaining old brickwork and timber beams while installing copper stills imported from Tasmania’s renowned fabricators. All grain is locally sourced from surrounding farms, and their small-team approach focuses on minimal automation, hands-on cuts, and slow maturation. Corowa’s setting - hot summers, cool winters, and a humid river influence - creates dynamic ageing conditions that produce whiskies of both depth and brightness.

Barrel House XB sits within Corowa’s series of single malts matured in different cask styles, with this particular expression aged entirely in ex-Bourbon barrels. The team selects heavily charred American oak casks to accentuate vanilla, coconut and citrus tones, while allowing the natural barley sweetness to remain centre-stage. Seasonal weather swings encourage faster evaporation and intensified character development.

Expect notes of bright lemon zest, vanilla cream, mint, and sweet hay.

Maverick Port Side
Ironhouse Distillery, TAS

Ironhouse Distillery stands on Tasmania’s rugged east coast, part of the Ironhouse Brewery & Vineyard complex overlooking the Tasman Sea. Their philosophy centres on maritime influence - allowing ocean air, shifting humidity, and cool coastal winds to shape the maturing spirit. The operation uses pure spring water drawn from the nearby mountains and a combination of locally malted barley and imported specialty malts. Production is small scale, with a focus on self-sufficiency; beer, wine and whisky are all made on site, and the distillery team often experiments across those boundaries. Ironhouse’s house style leans rich and textural, often amplified by Port, Sherry or Tawny cask finishes.

Maverick Port Side is a robust Port-cask single malt that embraces the darker, sweeter side of Tasmanian whisky and has an incredible story. It started its journey as an ocean-side matured whisky. It was then decanted into some Port barrels and strapped outside the port side of the wheelhouse of the Tasmanian abalone boat ‘Maverick’. For the next twelve months it braved over two-and-a-half thousand nautical miles of the worst that the Southern Ocean, Bass Strait and the Tasman Sea could throw at it.

Expect notes of black cherry, raisin, and toffee pudding layered with dark chocolate, molasses and spiced oak, finishing long and velvety with red-berry jam and a faint coastal brine.

Bourbon Cask
Spring Bay Distillery, TAS

Spring Bay Distillery was established by Cam and Suzy Bretz on Tasmania’s east coast near the seaside town of Spring Beach. Their philosophy is simple yet precise: pure local ingredients, slow distillation, and careful cask selection. The distillery draws its cooling water directly from the pristine coastal environment - an influence they believe contributes to the spirit’s trademark smoothness. Their whiskies are matured in purpose-built bond stores that experience the full sweep of Tasmanian maritime weather: cool sea breezes, salt air and fluctuating temperatures that promote deep oak interaction. Spring Bay has earned a reputation for creating elegant, balanced single malts that showcase the subtler side of Tasmanian whisky, often with a creamy texture and refined oak structure.

This Bourbon Cask expression is made entirely from Tasmanian malted barley and matured in first-fill American oak ex-Bourbon barrels. It highlights vanilla, caramel and citrus tones without the overlay of fortified-wine sweetness. Each batch is non-chill-filtered to preserve body and character. Maturation beside the sea imparts a faint saline edge and a crisp, clean finish.

Expect notes of vanilla custard, crème brûlée, sweet peach and light coconut, followed by caramel, honeyed malt and soft oak spice.

Mystery Whisky 1
Mystery Distillery 1

Today is the first of three mystery whiskies we've included in this year's advent calendar. These has been drawn from our stash of Aussie single malts and grain whiskies.

As this whisky has been picked randomly, we don't know what you'll be drinking today. It also means if you're doing whisky advent with a friend, they'll likely have something different today. Whatever you've drawn in this little lucky dip, we hope it rocks your socks off!

Resin 8 Shades Stout Cask
Headlands Distilling, NSW

The first distillery in Wollongong, Headlands Distilling was founded by four mates in 2015. The founders met in school and university, going on to become an investment analyst, an engineer, an R&D research consultant and a postdoctoral research fellow, until they put their heads together and decided to open a distillery instead. From the outset, their goal was to operate a ‘grain to glass’ model where all the ingredients are sourced directly from farmers, then fermented and distilled on-site. Sustainability is also high on the agenda. The distillery is powered using 100% renewable energy and they operate a bottle refill program to cut down on glass waste.

Resin 8 Shades Stout Cask is a collaboration between Headlands and Resin Brewing, a local craft brewery. Resin 8 Shades Stout is the craft beer that Resin Brewing made by ageing their beer in an ex Headlands Distilling Muscat whisky cask. Once the beer was emptied from the cask and transported to Resin for carbonation and serving, the stout cask was filled with an already-aged single malt whisky and left to absorb the flavours which had soaked into the French oak.

Expect notes of roasted malt, espresso crema, dark chocolate, honey-toffee, and a subtle hop-bitterness edge.

Equinox
Amber Lane Distillery, NSW

Based in the Yarramalong Valley on NSW’s Central Coast, Amber Lane Distillery was established in 2017 by Rod Berry & Phil Townsend. From the start their ambition was clear: to build single malts using longer maturation cycles, large premium barrels, and European-influenced distilling techniques. Their focus is on refinement and balance rather than chasing extremes.

Equinox is their flagship single malt expression, designed by melding ex-Bourbon and ex-Sherry casks into a single integrated maturation (rather than mere finishing). The age of each cask varies depending on the batch, with some batches reportedly drawing on casks that have been matured for five or more years.

Expect notes of almond croissant, candied pistachios, allspice and vanilla cream.

Bourbon Cask Light Peat
5Nines Distilling, SA

Founded in 2016 by two guys who got tired of corporate life, 5Nines Distilling started in a humble suburban garage. Retrofitted with 3 phase power and plenty of barrel racks, the pair then decided to build a copper still themselves rather than buying one in order to get the right configuration for a light, mellow spirit. Not that they knew how to weld though... that was learnt on the job! Their philosophy combines local barley, bespoke malt profiles (including lightly peated malt), coastal/forest climate influences and hands-on production. They even have their own grist mill (not too many small craft distilleries have one) which ensures the barley is ground to the right size before being fermented.

Single Malt Lightly Peated is built from 25% peated malt, peated with coastal South-East SA peat, and 75% unpeated malt, matured in a marriage of small American oak barrels (ex-Old Forester bourbon & other matched casks) around 100L size. This yields a whisky with gentle smoke rather than heavy peat, softened by bourbon cask richness and balanced by honey, vanilla and fruit.

Expect notes of sweet peat, vanilla, ferns and honey.

Tapestry
Fleurieu Distillery, SA

Located in Port Elliot on South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula, Fleurieu Distillery is run by a husband and wife team and used to be a craft brewery, so it’s no surprise their mash (or ‘distiller’s beer’ as it’s also known) is good quality. Any distiller will agree that a good mash tends to make a good new-make spirit, so Fleurieu has an advantage in this regard. Located right next to the coast, the salty sea spray hits the distillery and its ageing casks every day of every year, imparting a slightly savoury note upon the whiskies within. The moderate winters and southerly winds are ideal for maturation that’s neither too fast nor flat. Their approach emphasises Australian-grown barley, close collaboration with cooperages, and creative cask finishing (often combining multiple types to weave flavour).

Tapestry is a single malt expression matured and finished in a blend of ex-Bourbon barrels and ex-Apera (Australian fortified wine) barriques. The combination yields cedar & vanilla from Bourbon oak, plus dried-fruit and nutty breadth from the Apera. The maritime setting slows the maturation slightly, arguably making its flavour profile a little more subtle compared to inland hot-climate matured whiskies.

Expect notes of florals, sweet oak spice and malt-cake.

Mystery Whisky 2
Mystery Distillery 2

Today is the second of three mystery whiskies we've included in this year's advent calendar. These has been drawn from our stash of Aussie single malts and grain whiskies.

As this whisky has been picked randomly, we don't know what you'll be drinking today. It also means if you're doing whisky advent with a friend, they'll likely have something different today. Whatever you've drawn in this little lucky dip, we hope it rocks your socks off!

Angel’s Share Coconut Rum Cask
Imbue Distillery, VIC

Imbue Distillery was founded in Melbourne’s northern suburbs by husband-and-wife team Mel and Mick Sheard, both hospitality veterans with backgrounds in fine dining and liqueur production. Their ethos is 'spirit with soul': blending culinary craft, seasonal ingredients and local provenance. They began with distinctive gins and aperitifs made from Australian fruits and spices, before expanding into whisky under the Angel’s Share banner. True to their small-batch style, they distill, age and bottle everything in-house, focusing on short-run casks that celebrate individuality rather than conformity.

Angel’s Share Coconut Rum Cask is a limited single-malt release finished in casks that previously held Imbue’s own coconut-infused rum. This secondary maturation imparts creamy tropical sweetness and a subtle layer of toasted coconut over the base malt spirit. Each cask is treated as a 'micro-project' with minimal intervention - no chill-filtration and no colour adjustment. The goal was to highlight how the residual rum sugars and tropical oils can complement malted-barley richness without overwhelming it. Only a few hundred bottles were filled.

Expect notes of coconut cream, vanilla fudge, caramelised pineapple and warm oak spice.

Single Malt
Loaded Barrel Distillery, VIC

Loaded Barrel Distillery is a family-owned operation in Rowville, Melbourne, founded by head distiller Bob Wilhelm with partner Sue and son Tyrone. Conceived in 2018 and opened to the public in September 2024, the distillery focuses on flavour-forward whisky, gin and small-batch liqueurs, poured in their on-site cocktail bar. Production centres on a custom pot still with a tall tapered neck and inclined lyne arm, designed to encourage passive reflux and produce a light, fruity new-make that takes well to expressive casks.

This Single Malt is their signature bottling: 100% Australian malted barley, first matured in customised virgin American-oak barrels for vanilla/toffee sweetness, then finished in ex-Sherry casks to layer in plum, dark berry and gentle cocoa—positioned by the distillery as their “new-classic.” It’s intended to be decadent yet easy-drinking, showing off the still’s clean, fruit-led spirit against assertive but well-judged oak. Parallel small-batch releases (e.g., ex-Shiraz cigar barrels; antique Spanish Oloroso casks) give a sense of their broader cask palette, but this expression remains the clearest window into the Loaded Barrel style.

Expect notes of honeyed malt, vanilla fudge and ripe stone fruit, unfolding into toffee, roasted nuts and sherried dark berries.

The Original Single Malt
Cape Byron Distillery, NSW

Cape Byron Distillery was founded by Eddie Brook and former master distiller of Bruichladdich Distillery, Jim McEwan. The distillery resides on the Brook family’s very own 96 acre macadamia farm and native rainforest, which they’ve helped regenerate over many decades of careful conservation work. Lovers of premium breakfast cereal will be familiar with the Brookfarm brand, which Eddie's family has owned and operated for the last 30+ years.

As a result of the Brook family's conservation work, Cape Byron Distillery has remarkable access to a whole host of native plants which have taken up residence in this re-wilded land. These include the Davidson's Plum, riberries, native ginger and aniseed myrtle.

For the last few years, the distillery has been distilling and ageing single malt whisky. Stone & Wood Brewery, just down the road in Byron Bay, is responsible for fermenting malted barley with spring water into a wash, which is then delivered to the distillery. The wash is twice distilled in a 2000 litre copper pot still before being pumped into American Oak ex-Bourbon casks for ageing.

The Original is Cape Byron’s cornerstone single malt. Crafted from Australian pale malt barley and pure local spring water, it is double-distilled on hand-built copper pot stills and matured in ex-Bourbon barrels sourced from Kentucky. The coastal rainforest environment maintains relatively stable humidity and temperature, allowing slow, even extraction and refined oak integration.

Expect soft vanilla, creme brulee, and biscotti characters, layered over distinct notes of pear, coconut and buttery macadamia.

Ginger Beer Cask
Manly Spirits, NSW

Based in Sydney’s Northern Beaches and inspired by the coastal influence of their surroundings, Manly Spirits Co was founded in 2017 and has since grown to become a well recognised brand throughout Australia. In keeping with the laid back Manly vibe, it’s also the only distillery we know of that runs yoga classes next to all the shiny distillery gear. Manly Spirits also started exporting recently and you can find their wares in some of the best bottle shops in the UK. To keep up with demand, the distillery runs four copper pot stills in various sizes ranging from 50L for experimental runs to 600L for gin and vodka and 1500L for whisky. A recent sale of the business appears to have changed their branding and vision slightly, but the good news is the juice is still high quality.

Ginger Beer Cask is part of Manly’s 'Distillers Experimental' program. It involves whisky matured in casks that previously held house-made ginger beer, itself a blend of fresh root ginger, citrus peel and molasses. These casks impart layers of spice, zest and a faint molasses sweetness to the malt spirit. The whisky itself is built on Australian barley and aged in coastal conditions, which amplify brightness and lift. Bottled in tiny numbers, this experiment shows how playful finishing can yield genuinely distinctive results.

Expect notes of fresh ginger, citrus peel, caramelised brown sugar and dark chocolate.

Mystery Whisky 3
Mystery Distillery 3

Today is the last of three mystery whiskies we've included in this year's advent calendar. These has been drawn from our stash of Aussie single malts and grain whiskies.

As this whisky has been picked randomly, we don't know what you'll be drinking today. It also means if you're doing whisky advent with a friend, they'll likely have something different today. Whatever you've drawn in this little lucky dip, we hope it rocks your socks off!

Single Malt Whisky
36 Short Spirits, SA

Founded by brothers Jon and Con in memory of their late father Pando, this South Australian distillery was proud to be the first to introduce a commercial ‘Rakia’ to Australia, a fruit brandy popular in eastern Europe. They’ve since introduced a couple of gins to their range as well. The name ‘36 Short’ comes about in reference to Pando’s suit size.

Based in the Adelaide Hills, they operate on a small-batch, high-attention-to-detail basis: sourcing local malted barley, customising toast levels in their barrels, controlling mash temperature and fermentation to emphasise purity of spirit. Their philosophy emphasises making whisky that is accessible and flavour-forward, while still being authentic.

Single Malt Whisky 40% is their entry-level single malt expression, distilled from 100 % Australian malted barley, matured initially in meticulously selected toasted and shaved American oak, then rested in ex-Bourbon barrels, before being bottled at drinking strength. The modest ABV is intentional: 36 Short aim for a whisky you can drink now, share easily, and still trace the cask and grain character cleanly.

Expect notes of light vanilla cream, pecan pie, honeyed malt biscuit and toasted oak sweetness.

Parawa Peat
Tin Shed Distilling, SA

Tin Shed Distilling is one of those places where every step of the whisky making process is hands on and hard work - milling malt, stirring mash, moving barrels, tasting casks, filling bottles, applying labels and packing into shipping cartons. Hardly any of their process is mechanised and that’s exactly the way they like it. A new 2200L copper pot still and their older 600L still perform most of the magic here, but it hasn’t always been plain sailing. Tin Shed was initially founded as a side hustle between three mates and was known as Southern Coast Distilling at the time. Their products were delicious and well received, but sadly the partnership fell apart years later. Tin Shed is the reincarnation of that operation with two of the original founders on-board.

Parawa Peat is part of their Iniquity range, referencing the Parawa region and incorporating lightly peated malt (often coastal South-East SA peat) into the mash. The peat is used judiciously - more for texture and atmosphere than heavy smoke. After distillation, the spirit is matured in ex-Sherry, Tawny or Bourbon barrels (depending on the batch) to integrate the peat, fruit and oak influences.

Expect notes of gentle bonfire embers, honey-coated pears, toasted barley and light peat smoke.

Strathbogie Select Tawny & Bourbon Cask Finish
Nagambie Distillery, VIC

Nagambie Brewery & Distillery is situated on the waterfront of Lake Nagambie in rural Victoria, on a site that was once home to the town's police camp. The combines beer and spirits production with a fully fledged kitchen, bar and probably enough seats for the whole town. The focus here is on sourcing ingredients as locally and sustainably as possible, including harvesting their water from the nearby Goulburn River., They've recently evolved their distilling arm to include Australian single-malt whisky with a focus on Victorian barley, small pot stills and signature cask choices. The mash bills in their whiskies is 100% Victorian malted barley, double-distilled in a 200 L copper pot still, with careful heart-cuts to retain purity of spirit.

Strathbogie Select Tawny & Bourbon Cask Finish is a release built from the distillery’s standard Bourbon-cask matured whisky, then finished in Australian Tawny (fortified wine) casks to add dried-fruit richness, nutty depth and a touch of sweetness. The combination of Bourbon vanilla/oak and Tawny-wine complexity allows the spirit to be rich yet refined. The maturation in Victoria’s changing climate - warm days, cool nights - also helps the barrels breathe and the spirit develop layered character quickly.

Expect notes of blood orange peel, vanilla custard, toasted chestnut and clover.

Sawyers Bay Unpeated
Furneaux Distillery, TAS

Located in the Bass Strait off the coast of Tasmania, Flinders Island is the largest of the Furneaux Group of islands and now adds whisky distilling to its list of charms. Damien Newton-Brown is the man responsible for bringing whisky to the island. Having spent a number of childhood holidays on the island, he remembered that Flinders has a number of marshes and bogs, and as a big Laphroaig fan, he dreamed up the idea of creating a heavily peated malt whisky on the island.

Furneaux Distillery officially opened in 2019. Spirit was initially acquired from Launceston Distillery and a couple of years later the first peated Furneaux single malt whiskies wholly distilled on Flinders Island were released.

Sawyers Bay Unpeated is their unpeated single malt expression matured on Flinders Island. Typically matured in second-fill Tawny or Bourbon casks (to preserve malt purity), these casks are aged in warehouses exposed to sea breezes and westerly winds that impart subtle maritime character. Maturation time varies by batch, but typically sees the spirit spending ~3.5 years in a 100L American oak/Tawny cask.

Expect notes of stewed red apple, vanilla cream, cherry and soft clove on the nose.

Christie's Cut
Timboon Distillery, VIC

Today we have a cask strength delight to really brighten up your day.

Timboon Railway Shed Distillery is nestled in-between the smashing waves of Port Campbell and the rich farmland of the Colac region of Victoria. Predominantly makers of whisky and liqueurs, the same owners run a cattle farm (whose cattle are fed spent grain from the whisky wash) and a cooperage (who make the casks for the distillery).

In the 1890s, a notorious illegal distiller in the Timboon district was said to have produced 100 gallons of whisky every week. It was called ‘Mountain Dew’ and was even (illegally) emblazoned with a government stamp. Inspired by this whisky-rich history, Timboon Distillery is run by its owner and distiller Josh, quietly producing local spirits in the region once again (legally this time).

Christie’s Cut is their premium, cask-strength single malt range named after Inspector John Christie, who in the 1890s helped bring down illicit stills in the region. This expression is matured in French oak ex-Port barrels, bottled at cask strength and designed to be bold, deep and characterful. The small barrels, aggressive cask influence and high proof combine to deliver a whisky of power, texture and long finish—designed for serious sipping.

Expect notes of burnt raisins, banoffee pie, dark sugar, nutty tannin and menthol.