I’m often asked, “Which do you think is the best Australian whisky”? It’s a difficult question to answer, although I had a fair crack at answering it in this article here. One of the problems in answering the question is that it can depend on how much you’re comfortable spending? Ask me what is the best Australian whisky for under $150 and I’ll give you one answer. Ask me what is the best Australian whisky for under $300 and I might answer something different. And we’re all too aware that there are plenty of Australian single malts being sold at RRP’s much higher than $300! Of course, the inconvenient irony here is that it doesn’t necessarily follow that the $300 whisky is actually better than the $150 whisky! But as we discussed previously in the article referenced above, one of the key metrics in deciding which is the best Australian whisky is the “bang for your buck” factor. There have been some exceptional Aussie malts sold out of Tasmania in recent times, but if the RRP is over $900 and the whisky is effectively inaccessible to most consumers – then how good it is can be a moot point. And so we often have to ply a line of best fit. Or, you can simply nominate Iniquity Gold.
Tag: Tin Shed
Iniquity – Lazy Daze and Iniquity Gold Batch 007
The single malts from Iniquity, produced by Tin Shed Distilling Co, consistently rank amongst the finest Australian whiskies. Two new releases from Iniquity crossed our desk this week and, not surprisingly, they impressed. So much so, we figured they deserved a review and write up. Accordingly, below are the details and our thoughts on Iniquity’s new Lazy Daze release, as well Iniquity Gold Batch 007 …
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Which is the best Australian whisky?
Which is the best Australian whisky? With interest in Australian whisky at an all-time high, combined with the staggering number of Australian distilleries now bringing mature spirit to market, it’s certainly an understandable question to ask. But can one realistically answer that question? Well…we’ll attempt to offer some guidance in just a moment but, first, it’s important to establish some ground rules…
Iniquity whisky and Tin Shed Distillers
Looking for information about Iniquity whisky? Read on…
In the busy, buzzing, and bulging world of the Australian whisky industry, it would be fair to say that the distilleries of South Australia tend to get overlooked. At the very least, they don’t get the share of the limelight they deserve.
The reasons for this are fairly straightforward: (i) South Australia is not in Tasmania, where most punters perceive all the action to be. (ii) The distilleries are generally small operations (with one exception), and the higher profile or “big brand” distilleries are in other states. (iii) The distillers behind the distilleries are modest folks who focus on making good whisky, rather than focusing on their social media and playing the popularity game. (On that note, and as an aside: I would not be the first commentator to observe that, in some cases, a whisky brand’s social media profile and volume are inversely proportional to the quality and quantity of its whisky).
The irony of this situation is the reality that, by and large, the distilleries of South Australia consistently make good whisky and are genuinely amongst the most lauded in the land. All distilleries will generally have hits and misses over their journeys; the trick is obviously to have the ledger filled with more of the former than the latter. One distillery that has excelled at achieving a consistent DNA; a reliable house style; and churning out a string of hits is Tin Shed Distilling Co through its Iniquity whisky label.
That Boutique-y Whisky Company – Australia Series
The global whisky community continues to grow, particularly as interest and awareness develops around the “new world” distillers outside of Scotland. The craft whisky scene is nothing new to Australia which, it must be said, is exploding with over 65 established whisky distilleries now bringing their matured product to market. In spite of the thriving local scene, few have sought or established international distributorship (mostly due to the small volumes being produced), and so whisky lovers outside of Australia usually have to go to significant lengths to find and try Australian whisky. Having said that, the situation is slowly changing, and one big leap forward occurring this month is the launch of the “Australia Series” range by That Boutique-y Whisky Company.
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Australian whisky – It’s got an image problem
What does Australian whisky taste like? One of the biggest problems for the Australian whisky industry – actually, it’s not a problem, it’s simply a mistake – is that a lot of people try to pigeonhole Australian whisky with a crude, base descriptor. To be fair, other whisky categories have the same problem: According to “the rules”, Scotch whisky is peaty; Irish whiskey is light; American whiskey is sweet; Japanese whisky is expensive, etc, etc. You get the idea.
Of course, such generalisations and stereotypes can often be wide of the mark, but the reality is that both consumers and marketers rely on such pigeonholes, and once these things stick, they become incredibly hard to shift.
So how do you describe Australian whisky? What does Australian whisky taste like? What’s a one-size-fits-all, catch-all statement that’s vaguely applicable? I’ll answer that in just a moment, but first some preceding comments to soften the blow…
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