Archie Rose Distilling Co. has launched Red Gum Smoked Single Malt Whisky. The expression, which makes use of perhaps the most iconic Eucalyptus tree, known as ‘red gum’, is the first in a two-part series, as well as the seventh release under the distillery’s Trials & Exceptions label.
Wood of the New South Wales-native (NSW) red gum tree has been used to smoke this expression’s barley, which was grown and malted in the same state by Archie Rose friends Voyager Craft Malt. Red Gum Smoked Single Malt Whisky represents another step on the distillery’s journey to source all seven of its malts from within NSW.
“We had been using peated barley from the west coast of Scotland in our whiskies,” said master distiller, Dave Withers. “We were dragging this grain half way across the world to be used in an Australian whisky, which just didn’t feel quite right both from a provenance and a sustainability perspective. We saw an opportunity to create an Australian smoked malt which would showcase the great Australian scent of BBQ or campfire smoke.
“After a number of conversations with our mates at Voyager, they agreed to support us in establishing a series of dedicated Australian-native wood smoked malt trials. This release is the product of two of those trials.”
Red Gum Smoked Single Malt Whisky is made using Archie Rose’s “individual malt stream” process, which the distillery controversially patented in November 2020 and claims is "globally unique". It involves each malt in the mash bill being milled, mashed, fermented, distilled and matured separately, allowing the Archie Rose team to tailor every step of the production process, from yeast selection to cask type and maturation conditions, to each specific malt.
“It’s a hell of a lot of work, but we do it because it allows us to get the most out of the malt and really accentuate its key defining features,” said Withers. “The result, with this release, is a distinctly Australian whisky not for the faint-hearted. It has a pronounced level of smoke, with notes of smoked meats and bacon, as well as a strong floral presence with a salty edge.”
“This whisky is an incredible feat,” says Archie Rose founder, Will Edwards. “We are proudly an Australian distillery and, when we started out, many of the unique malts we wanted to use in our whiskies were either not grown and malted in Australia or were not available in sufficient quantities. This is a prime example of how we strive, with Australian maltsters and farmers, to develop new malts to push the boundaries of whisky production, improve sustainability by not shipping in foreign malt from around the world, and showcase the best of what Australia has to offer.”
A limited number of bottles of Archie Rose Red Gum Smoked Single Malt Whisky (RRP AU$199) are available to purchase from the Archie Rose Bar in Rosebery, Sydney, the distillery’s website, and selected bottle shops and bars.
Wood of the New South Wales-native (NSW) red gum tree has been used to smoke this expression’s barley, which was grown and malted in the same state by Archie Rose friends Voyager Craft Malt. Red Gum Smoked Single Malt Whisky represents another step on the distillery’s journey to source all seven of its malts from within NSW.
“We had been using peated barley from the west coast of Scotland in our whiskies,” said master distiller, Dave Withers. “We were dragging this grain half way across the world to be used in an Australian whisky, which just didn’t feel quite right both from a provenance and a sustainability perspective. We saw an opportunity to create an Australian smoked malt which would showcase the great Australian scent of BBQ or campfire smoke.
“After a number of conversations with our mates at Voyager, they agreed to support us in establishing a series of dedicated Australian-native wood smoked malt trials. This release is the product of two of those trials.”
Red Gum Smoked Single Malt Whisky is made using Archie Rose’s “individual malt stream” process, which the distillery controversially patented in November 2020 and claims is "globally unique". It involves each malt in the mash bill being milled, mashed, fermented, distilled and matured separately, allowing the Archie Rose team to tailor every step of the production process, from yeast selection to cask type and maturation conditions, to each specific malt.
“It’s a hell of a lot of work, but we do it because it allows us to get the most out of the malt and really accentuate its key defining features,” said Withers. “The result, with this release, is a distinctly Australian whisky not for the faint-hearted. It has a pronounced level of smoke, with notes of smoked meats and bacon, as well as a strong floral presence with a salty edge.”
“This whisky is an incredible feat,” says Archie Rose founder, Will Edwards. “We are proudly an Australian distillery and, when we started out, many of the unique malts we wanted to use in our whiskies were either not grown and malted in Australia or were not available in sufficient quantities. This is a prime example of how we strive, with Australian maltsters and farmers, to develop new malts to push the boundaries of whisky production, improve sustainability by not shipping in foreign malt from around the world, and showcase the best of what Australia has to offer.”
A limited number of bottles of Archie Rose Red Gum Smoked Single Malt Whisky (RRP AU$199) are available to purchase from the Archie Rose Bar in Rosebery, Sydney, the distillery’s website, and selected bottle shops and bars.
