For the majority of the 20th century, the Distillation Act of 1901 prevented small-batch distillers from obtaining licenses to distil Australian Whisky. Luckily in 1990, Bill Lark successfully lobbied the government to amend this restriction- allowing him to open the Lark Distillery in 1992. Thanks to Bill, the Aussie Whisky industry was born and has been going from strength to strength ever since.
Australian whiskies are produced in a similar way to Scotch whisky, using the same double pot still method widely used in Scotland for distilling single malt whisky. However, Rye, wheat, and blended whiskies are also produced in Australia.
In 2014, Australian whisky gained global attention when Sullivan’s Cove French Oak single cask won the world’s best single malt whisky at the World Whiskies Awards.
Australian Whisky Requirements
With no deep customs or traditions surrounding its whisky, Australia can produce a wider variety of whisky than found overseas, with no rules or restrictions governing what styles are produced.
