Kinglake O'Grady's Stand Single Malt Whisky 46% 500ml

Kinglake Distillery is owned and operated by husband & wife team Sam Lowe and Chantal Daniels. Daniels grew up in the Kinglake area, has long-established ties to the region, and focuses on sales & marketing, while brewing & distilling is Sam's domain. They kicked off their distillery project in 2018. I first visited and tasted the spirit some 3-4 months after they kicked off, and was really excited by the whisky to come even in its infancy. I have followed the project really closely since. I applaud their whisky-first approach, their mind for sustainability, their affordability and as time has gone on, consistency. The mash bill consists of four different grains, three of which are Australian - the peated component comes from Scotland. Brewing and ferments are done in house in open-top fermenters, aided by native yeast and their own spring water. 

December 2022 update; we need to fix this page. It's OG 10 now!

We're currently up to batch #8, distilled April 2019, bottled February 2022. Pale bronze colour; barley sugar, a little smoke, jersey caramel, filter coffee & after-dinner mint on the nose. The palate is quite light but intensely flavoured. Heaps of savouriness going on here, hay bale, dry biscuit, columbines and spice. Very long spicy ANZAC biscuit, pepper and earth aftertaste. The power to weight ratio and balance is very impressive. 

Batch 4 tasting note: a touch more savoury than the previous - the milk chocolate and vanilla notes step back a little, and more of the biscuit malt and smoky straw flavours come through. Only a slight variation on a very good theme; this one is sure to impress Kinglake's growing legion of fans. It's open to taste in-store, and you can compare it to the previous releases below if you like! 

We're now on to OG9, 750 bottles produced, distilled 11/9/19 and bottled 9/4/22. Just shy of three years in Kinglake's 50L casks. 

Batch 2 tasting note; The whisky pours a pale gold colour and smells of barley sugar, chocolate and cinnamon. On the palate, it's bright, fresh and very clean. Appealing stuff. Chocolate, vanilla, a touch of fudge with a hint of smoke and spearmint. Opulent texture. We think it's excellent. It's bloody good value for money, too. 46.0%

Batch 1 tasting note; It smells like caramel, vanilla, a whiff of smoke, and a hint of pepper. On the palate, it's rich, oily, and delicious. The sweet caramel vanilla action continues with a big spicy background. There's a little heat in the finish, which reminds you that this is a whisky to be taken seriously. A great spirit and an impressive debut. Bravo. 46.0%