A Roll Call Of The 15 Whiskies We Have Launched Since 2014
It has been almost eight years since whisky production first began at our original distillery home in Rosebery, Sydney in what can only be described as a journey of tests and triumphs. In our quest to create exceptional Australian whisky we have launched Single Malt and Rye Malt Whiskies as the foundation whiskies in our core range of spirits as well as a number of other much-loved Concepts, Trials & Exceptions and Limited Edition products. Below we invite you to join us on a trip down memory lane as we look back to where our journey to whisky began and where it has taken us since.
March 2015
Distilled from rare malted rye and barley sourced from the finest producers, our White Rye was the new make foundation behind our now released Rye Malt Whisky. It greets you with soft herbs, tropical fruits and inviting floral notes. Twice distilled, it has a lingering finish, laden with sweet spice.
Try it in a frothy, refreshing Peach Perfect or in a Rosebery Rye Julep.
Four-Time Winner of World’s Best Whisky including the New York World Wine & Spirits Competition, Beverage Tasting Institute and American Whiskey Masters and also named Australia’s Best Rye at the International Wine and Spirits Competition.
Archie Rose x Kaiju! Beer: Behemoth Aged Spirit
April 2018
Our first whisky-related collab, the Archie Rose x Kaiju! Beer Behemoth Aged Spirit was also the first release under the Archie Rose Concepts label, created to share our rarest and most unique releases in limited quantities and single batches. Kaiju! Beer is run by brothers Nat and Callum, who call themselves ‘nerdy beer scientists’, producing a range of award-winning ales, IPAs and ciders.
KAIJU! Beer’s rich and hop-heavy ‘Where Strides the Behemoth’ Double India Black Ale - one of the hoppiest and highest alcohol beers in Australia - was distilled two and a half times in our 300L copper pot gin still, then aged in 50L and 20L ex-bourbon barrels to create a small release of only 91 bottles with memorable notes of pineapple, lychees, aged rum and soy sauce.
July 2018
Our limited edition Six Malt New Make was a first glimpse into how the base spirit of our Archie Rose Single Malt Whisky starts its life – as a rich and complex unaged spirit displaying earthy notes of dark chocolate, and coffee, roasted nuts and toffee. Perfect for serving near or in a range of classic cocktails, this release can only be described as bold, robust and ‘no wallflower’.
June 2019
The only whisky of its kind at the time in Australia and our first actual aged whisky release, Chocolate Rye Malt Whisky was drawn from a single batch of eight casks. This whisky provided an insight into early explorations of heavily roasted malts, a key step in our journey towards embracing the more challenging, lower-yielding, but far more flavourful world of roasted malts such as chocolate rye!
Like many of our whisky releases since it literally broke our website on release, selling out within the hour.
August 2019
Named World’s Best Whisky at the World Whiskies Awards, this truly unique whisky was crafted using selectively sourced rare malted rye and the finest malted barley from progressive malt houses and then paired them with virgin American oak casks air-dried for 36 months that were left to mature in the maritime air of coastal Sydney.
Layered, complex and a pure joy to drink, we believe wholeheartedly that our Rye Malt Whisky has turned the page on a whole new chapter in the Australian whisky story.
Have it over ice, neat or in a cocktail, we recommend in a Rye Malt Whisky Sour
Ironbark Smoked Rye Malt Whisky
November 2019
Ironbark Smoked Rye Malt Whisky features smoked water created by melting huge blocks of ice in the wood-fired oven of our neighbouring mates in Rosebery, Three Blue Ducks, using sustainably sourced NSW ironbark.
After trialling various Archie Rose whiskies, the caramel, cream and fruit accents of Rye Malt Whisky were selected as the ideal spirit to match with the meaty, smoky and saline characteristics of the smoked water, underpinned by the unique subtle baking spices of rye malt with the end result delivering aromas of the campfire-baked damper by the sea.
The release of this cloudy, and historically considered “faulty” spirit aims to start the conversation about the role, type and extent of filtration in whisky production, and how it can be used to both add to and detract from a finished spirit and drinking experience.
Sandigo Heritage Rye Malt Whisky
March 2020
The first whisky released under our Trials & Exceptions label, a series created to uncover our most exceptional single casks and small batch trials, Sandigo Heritage Rye Malt Whisky features malted landrace rye sourced from fourth-generation NSW farmers.
This grain has grown continuously near Sandigo in NSW for over 60 years, adapting to weather including droughts, floods and storms to evolve into its own distinct strain. Raw and less refined it offers notes of signature creme caramel, banana and black tea, finishing with expansive spice notes of ginger, cinnamon and cardamom.
August 2020
With an unwavering belief that malt provides a potent and vital contribution to the final flavour profile of our whisky, Archie Rose Single Malt Whisky is distinctly crafted to highlight six malts, each with a unique profile and character. This six-malt mash bill, although incredibly low yielding, provides a rich and expressive flavour, full of distinct regional character.
Our team spent an enormous amount of time in research and development of this whisky (six years in fact) and as a result, believe we have made something truly unique, that speaks to the land and materials it was created from.
As a testament to this, our Single Malt Whisky has been named Best Australian Rye at the 2022 World Whiskies Awards, Best World Whisky at the 2022 Ascot Awards, Best Single Malt Whisky at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, World Whisky Masters and SIP Awards as well as the World’s Best Unaged Whisky for the new make spirit.
Did we mention how proud we are of this release? Hear more from Archie Rose Founder Will Edwards on our Youtube channel.
June 2021
Released in an extremely limited batch of 300 bottles, this Single Malt Whisky began its journey in 50-year-old LBV port casks, before being married in 225-litre Australian tawny casks. Featuring six malts that complement the richness imparted by the union of old and new world port casks, A Whisky In Every Port offers notes of figs, espresso, tobacco and prunes.
Drink it neat or in a Manhattan-style cocktail such as a Ned Kelly.
Archie Rose X ST. ALi Blasphemy Coffee Whisky
July 2021
A coffee whisky? How blasphemous! This collaboration with acclaimed Melbourne coffee roasters ST.ALi showcases both the unique Archie Rose six malt mash bill and the roasted notes of ST. ALi’s coffee blends.
Purists may rally against the notion of subverting these two liquid obsessions and label Blasphemy an act of anarchy, but on tasting the spirit and understanding the production processes behind the pairing, it soon makes perfect sense.
Perfect as is or in a Boulevardier.
December 2021
This whisky was a happy accident that occurred during cask filling and was only recognised after the spirit was filled into the cask (pretty difficult to unscramble that egg). The apera casks were destined for maturing single malt but were instead filled with rye malt spirit instead. The spirit however has the dried fruit character of the apera which is a fairly different profile to what we typically achieve from the air-seasoned Virgin American Oak casks.
With only 1000 bottles ever released, this whisky sees Rye Malt Whisky imbued with the flavours of the apera casks to reveal enticing notes of sultanas, dates, cacao and crème brulee.
Red Gum Smoked Single Malt Whisky
February 2022
The seventh release under our Trials and Exceptions label, and the first in a two-part series, this exceptional whisky represents a milestone in both our history and our quest to source all our seven malts from within NSW.
With only 2,005 bottles in existence, Red Gum Smoked Single Malt Whisky uses native NSW red gum to smoke the NSW grown and malted barley from our friends at Voyager Craft Malt. It pays tribute to one of Australia’s most majestic eucalypt trees and offers heady flavours redolent of campfire smoke, smoked meat, ripe nectarine, fresh jasmine and lavender with a subtle salty edge.
An Australian answer to Scotland’s peated whisky giants, this release was one of Australia’s very first smoked whiskies infused with red gum smoke.
High-Test Molasses Rum Cask Single Malt Whisky
February 2022
Serendipity was the mother of invention when it came to the sixth release under our Trials and Exceptions series, a limited edition malt whisky finished in our high-test molasses rum casks. Aptly named High-Test Molasses Rum Cask Single Malt Whisky, it offers notes of sticky date pudding alongside rum and raisin ice cream, striking a beautiful balance between malt and molasses. It’s a spirit made for sharing or elevating the everyday.
Serve it neat, over ice or build it into a boozy Old Fashioned or Manhattan
Single Paddock Whisky Harvest 2018
April 2022
Archie Rose Single Paddock Whisky Harvest 2018 pays tribute to the hardiness, character and charisma of a single paddock of heritage rye, dry grown in challenging 2018 drought conditions by the Whytcross family in Barellan, NSW.
A testament to what a single paddock can produce, we continue to be immensely proud of the provenance behind our products. Unfiltered and at natural cask strength, this is a whisky for serious whisky lovers, for those looking to be transported away with every sip.
Best served neat, over ice or if you are feeling fancy, a Manhattan.
June 2022
Accidents are at the heart of great discoveries and what better discovery than our latest Trials & Exceptions release, Good(e) Whisk(e)y? Former Cellar Hand (and now Distiller) Mr Goode accidentally vatted our Single Malt and Rye Malt Whisky together, creating a new hybrid concoction that our Master Distiller Dave Withers thought was so brilliant that it should be memorialised with a release!
Fast forward a few years and this serendipitous occurrence is finally available for purchase! Try it for yourself our recommended Signature Serve (think ginger beer and lime) or in a Toronto with sugar syrup, fernet branca and bitters!
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For more information on our whisky journey please visit our Historical Releases tab on the Archie Rose website.
Hear from Archie Rose Master Distiller Dave Withers about the complexities of our whisky and our connection with Australian malts on our Youtube channel.