Australasian Whisky Awards 2013

Newcomers Shine at the Australian Whisky Awards

The second annual Australasian Whisky Awards, held in association with The Whisky Show in Sydney, were presented at the The Whisky Show on Friday 28 June 2013.

29 entries from across Australia and New Zealand competed in two categories – Single Malt and Cask Strength. Four independent judges had the arduous task of sampling and scoring each whisky over a period of weeks prior to the Show, and the top three in each category were recognised, with the whisky achieving the highest overall score crowned the Australasian Whisky of the Year.

Starward, based in Essendon Fields in Victoria, won the Single Malt category, and Timboon Distillery, from Timboon in Victoria, took out the Cask Strength as well as the overall title. Last year’s winner, the Overeem Port Cask from the Old Hobart Distillery in Tasmania was second in the single malt category. Lark, also from Hobart and the oldest distillery in Australia won bronze awards in both categories. Limeburners from Western Australia won silver in the Cask Strength category. Starward has only been in existence since 2004, and Timboon has arguably the smallest stills in the country.

“It is fantastic to see not only a growing number of entries each year, but the quality of whisky being produced across several states,” says organiser David Ligoff. “Most people associate Australian whisky with Tasmania, but these awards show that great whisky is being produced in Victoria and Western Australia as well.”

Winners:

Single malt:

1. Starward

2. Overeem Port Cask

3. Lark #326 Port Cask

Cask Strength: 

1. Timboon Port Cask 64.8%

2. Limeburners Director's Cut M(96) 60%

3. Lark #395 Port Cask 63%

Overall:

Timboon Port Cask 64.8%

The Judge:

Dan Woolley, Owner/Operator, The Roadhouse Byron Bay and Whisky Ambassador for The World of Whisky

Corinne Mossati, Founder and principal writer/editor of Gourmantic food and drink blog.

Craig Daniels, Chairperson of the Malt Whisky Society of Australia Inc.

Chris Middleton, The Whisky Academy