The Tasting Australia Spirit Awards 2019 were announced at a gala ceremony held at Tasting Australia’s Town Square on Saturday, April 6.
Tasting Australia Spirit Awards 2019 – Photo Credit: Supplied
South Australian distillers have triumphed at the second annual awards, winning seven of the nine national award categories, including the two major awards.
Based in Hay Valley, Adelaide Hills Distillery was named Best Distiller overall for its gold medal winning 78 Degrees Gin and Bitter Orange Aperitif, which also took out the award for Best Liqueur – the second time for the distillery after winning the inaugural Best Liqueur award in 2018.
Rochfort Distillery from Hindmarsh Valley in South Australia won the night’s other major award of Best Small Batch Spirit for its Single Malt Whisky, which also picked up the prize for Best Whisky.
The winners were chosen from 162 entries from 57 exhibitors across Australia, recognising the best Australian whisky, gin, vodka, rum and more. Judging was held over two days of intensive tasting by a panel led by World Whisky Award Hall of Fame inductee Bill Lark, of Tasmania’s Lark Distillery. Here is the full list of the winners for 2019.
Tasting Australia Spirit Awards 2019
Best Distiller:
Adelaide Hills Distillery (South Australia)
Best Small Batch Spirit:
Rochfort Distiller (South Australia)
Best Whisky:
Rochfort Distillery Single Malt Whisky, Rochfort Distillery (South Australia)
Best Gin:
Ounce Gin – Bold, Imperial Measures Distilling (South Australia)
Best Vodka:
White Light Vodka Original, White Light Beverages (Victoria)
Best Rum:
Canefire No. 9 Premium Australian Rum, Kimberley Rum Company Pty Ltd (Western Australia)
Best Brandy:
St Agnes XO 15YO, St Agnes Distillery (South Australia)
Best Liqueur:
Bitter Orange Aperitif, Adelaide Hills Distillery (South Australia)
Best Alternate Spirit:
Tsipouro Traditional, Vittorio Spirits (South Australia)
Tasting Australia Spirits Awards 2019 Medal Winners
GIN – Category Product Name Distiller Medal
200 London Dry Ounce Gin – Bold Imperial Measures Distilling Gold + Best
200 London Dry 78 Degrees Adelaide Hills Distillery Gold
200 London Dry Big Dry Gin Ambleside Distillers Gold
200 London Dry 1829 Gin Old Young’s Gold
200 London Dry Finesse Gin OGS Distillery Pty. Ltd Gold
200 London Dry Macedon Dry Gin Animus Distillery Silver
200 London Dry 1827 Gin Old Young’s Silver
200 London Dry Adelaide Gin Australian Distilling Co. Pty Ltd Silver
200 London Dry Big Tree Distillery – Elegant Dry Gin Big Tree Distillery Silver
200 London Dry Rare Dry Five Nines Distilling Pty Ltd Silver
200 London Dry Wishbone Gin Fonzie Abbott Brewing Silver
200 London Dry Two Pencils Granddad Jacks Silver
200 London Dry Juniper Stomp Gin Never Never Distlilling Co Pty Ltd Silver
200 London Dry Prohibition Original Gin Prohibition Liquor Co Silver
200 London Dry Red Hen Gin Small Batch Distilling Silver
200 London Dry Dasher + Fisher Mountain Gin Southern Wild Distillery Silver
200 London Dry Mount Compass Distilled Gin Martin Distillation Company Pty Ltd Bronze
200 London Dry Barossa Dry Seppeltsfield Rd Distillers Bronze
200 London Dry Triple G Gin Australian Dry Gin White Light Bev Silver
201 New World / Contemporary Six Seasons Gin Old Young’s Gold
201 New World / Contemporary LOBO Djinn – Gin LOBO Juice and Cider Pty Ltd Gold
201 New World / Contemporary Savoury Allsorts Seppeltsfield Rd Distillers Gold
201 New World / Contemporary 78 Degrees Sunset Gin Adelaide Hills Distillery Silver
201 New World / Contemporary No. 8 Botanical Gin Ambleside Distillers Silver
201 New World / Contemporary Kifaru Gin Ambleside Distillers Silver
201 New World / Contemporary Ambrosian Gin Animus Distillery Silver
201 New World / Contemporary Arboretum Gin Animus Distillery Silver
201 New World / Contemporary Greenhouse Granddad Jacks Silver
201 New World / Contemporary Affinity Gin Karu Distillery Silver
201 New World / Contemporary KIS O’Gin KI Spirits Silver
201 New World / Contemporary Forty Spotted Gin Lark Distillery Silver
201 New World / Contemporary Embezzler Gin Old Kempton Distillery Silver
201 New World / Contemporary Appellation Seppeltsfield Rd Distillers Silver
201 New World / Contemporary Dasher + Fisher Meadow Gin Southern Wild Distillery Silver
201 New World / Contemporary Taylor and Smith Gin Taylor and Smith Distilling Co Silver
201 New World / Contemporary Green Ant Gin Adelaide Hills Distillery Bronze
201 New World / Contemporary Big Tree Distillery – Seasonal Gin Big Tree Distillery Bronze
201 New World / Contemporary Gin Pangolin Blend Etiquette Bronze
201 New World / Contemporary Happenstance Distillery Gin Happenstance Distillery Bronze
201 New World / Contemporary Mad Men Original Gin Hayward Park Pty Ltd Bronze
201 New World / Contemporary Ounce Gin – Signature Imperial Measures Distilling Bronze
201 New World / Contemporary KIS Wild KI Spirits Bronze
201 New World / Contemporary Applewood Gin Ochre Nation Bronze
201 New World / Contemporary House Gin Seppeltsfield Rd Distillers Bronze
201 New World / Contemporary Dasher + Fisher Ocean Gin Southern Wild Distillery Bronze
201 New World / Contemporary Spring Bay Gin Spring Bay Distillery Bronze
201 New World / Contemporary Diablo Artisan Gin Swan Valley Gin Company Bronze
201 New World / Contemporary Diablo Spiced Cumquat Gin Swan Valley Gin Company Bronze
201 New World / Contemporary French Earl Grey The Canberra Distillery Bronze
202 Old Tom KIS Old Tom KI Spirits Silver
203 Navy Common Gin Old Young’s Gold
203 Navy Juniper Freak Gin 2018 Never Never Distlilling Co Pty Ltd Gold
203 Navy Big Tree Distillery – Claude Navy Strength Gin Big Tree Distillery Silver
203 Navy 65 Miles Granddad Jacks Silver
203 Navy Lightning Gin Karu Distillery Silver
203 Navy Navy Strength Gin Darby-Norris Distillery Bronze
204 Barrel Aged KIS Whisky Barrel Gin KI Spirits Gold
204 Barrel Aged Old B.A.G. Gin Old Young’s Silver
204 Barrel Aged PROHIBITION SHIRAZ BARREL AGED GIN Prohibition Liquor Co Silver
204 Barrel Aged SouWester Spirits barrel aged gin SouWester Spirits Holdings Pty Ltd Silver
204 Barrel Aged KIS a Sailor KI Spirits Bronze
205 Fruit Fig Gin Pot & Still Gold
205 Fruit Dasher + Fisher Sloe Gin Southern Wild Distillery Gold
205 Fruit Davidsonia Gin Animus Distillery Silver
205 Fruit Anther Cherry Gin Anther Experimental Distillation Silver
205 Fruit Wild Citrus Five Nines Distilling Pty Ltd Silver
205 Fruit Dasher + Fisher Strawberry Gin Southern Wild Distillery Silver
205 Fruit KIS Mulberry Gin KI Spirits Bronze
205 Fruit PROHIBITION CHRISTMAS GIN Prohibition Liquor Co Bronze
205 Fruit THE GROVE STRAWBERRY GIN THE GROVE DISTILLERY & BREWERY Bronze
206 Other Prohibition Bathtub Cut Gin Prohibition Liquor Co Bronze
206 Other Dasher + Fisher Saffron Gin Southern Wild Distillery Bronze
WHISKY: Category Product Name Distiller Medal
100 Single Malt Whisky – Up to 10 years Message In A Bottle Fleurieu Distillery Gold
100 Single Malt Whisky – Up to 10 years Lark Distillery Classic Cask 43% Lark Distillery Gold
100 Single Malt Whisky – Up to 10 years Fountain Of Youth Fleurieu Distillery Silver
100 Single Malt Whisky – Up to 10 years Sullivans Cove Double Cask Sullivans Cove Distillery Pty. Ltd. Silver
100 Single Malt Whisky – Up to 10 years Iniquity Single Malt Batch 012 Tin Shed Distilling Co Silver
100 Single Malt Whisky – Up to 10 years Chief’s Son Release 1 ’25 Words’ Single Malt Whisky 45% ABV Chief’s Son Distillery Bronze
102 Single Barrel (or cask) Whisky – 11 – 20 The Journeyman Whisky Old Young’s Silver
102 Single Barrel (or cask) Whisky – Up to 10 years Rochfort Distillery Single Malt Whisky Rochfort distillery Gold + Best
102 Single Barrel (or cask) Whisky – Up to 10 years Nant Port Cask 43% Lark Distillery Gold
102 Single Barrel (or cask) Whisky – Up to 10 years Spring Bay Single Malt Sherry Cask Matured Spring Bay Distillery Gold
102 Single Barrel (or cask) Whisky – Up to 10 years Killara Distillery Single Cask Single Malt Whisky Killara Distillery Silver
102 Single Barrel (or cask) Whisky – Up to 10 years Overeem Sherry Cask 43% Lark Distillery Silver
102 Single Barrel (or cask) Whisky – Up to 10 years Old Kempton Distillery – Small batch whisky Old Kempton Distillery Silver
102 Single Barrel (or cask) Whisky – Up to 10 years Spring Bay Single Malt Bourbon Cask Matured Spring Bay Distillery Silver
102 Single Barrel (or cask) Whisky – Up to 10 years Spring Bay Single Malt Rheban Port Cask Matured Spring Bay Distillery Silver
102 Single Barrel (or cask) Whisky – Up to 10 years Joadja Single Malt Whisky Ex Pedro Ximenez Joadja Distillery Bronze
103 Peated Whisky – Up to 10 years Ecto Gammat Fleurieu Distillery Silver
103 Peated Whisky – Up to 10 years We’ll Always Have Paris Fleurieu Distillery Silver
104 Other (not listed above) – Up to 10 years Native Grain Project Adelaide Hills Distillery Silver
VODKA – Category Product Name Distiller Medal
300 Pure (Neutral) Vodka – Grape Penny Vodka Granddad Jacks Silver
300 Pure (Neutral) Vodka – Grape Vodka The Canberra Distillery Bronze
300 Pure (Neutral) Vodka – Neutral Grain White Light Vodka Original White Light Bev Gold + Best
300 Pure (Neutral) Vodka – Neutral Grain Wishbone Vodka Fonzie Abbott Brewing Silver
300 Pure (Neutral) Vodka – Neutral Grain Barrel Aged White Light Bev Bronze
300 Pure (Neutral) Vodka – Other – please specify Pure No 1 Vodka Old Young’s Silver
300 Pure (Neutral) Vodka – Wheat Finesse Vodka OGS Distillery Pty. Ltd Silver
301 Flavour Distilled Vodka – Sugar Cane Killara Distillery Vodka Killara Distillery Gold
302 Flavour Infused Vodka – Sugar Cane Thai Venom Vodka Logan’s Microdistillery Bronze
302 Flavour Infused Vodka – Wheat Smoked Vodka Old Young’s Silver
302 Flavour Infused Vodka – Wheat Pavlova Vodka Old Young’s Bronze
RUM – Category Product Name Distiller Medal
402 Dark Rum – Underproof – 9 – 15 Canefire No. 9 Premium Australian Rum Kimberley Rum Company Pty Ltd Gold + Best Rum
402 Dark Rum – Underproof – 9 – 15 Canefire No. 14 Premium Australian Rum Kimberley Rum Company Pty Ltd Bronze
402 Dark Rum – Underproof – Up to 8 years Canefire No. 5 Premium Australian Rum Kimberley Rum Company Pty Ltd Silver
402 Dark Rum – Underproof – Up to 8 years Riverbourne Dark Sipping Rum Riverbourne Distillery Silver
BRANDY – Category Product Name Distiller Medal
500 Grape Brandy St Agnes XO 15YO St Agnes Distillery Gold + Best
500 Grape Brandy St Agnes XO Imperial 20YO St Agnes Distillery Silver
500 Grape Brandy Sullivans Cove XO Double Cask Brandy Sullivans Cove Distillery Pty. Ltd. Silver
500 Grape Brandy Sullivans Cove XO Single Cask Brandy Sullivans Cove Distillery Pty. Ltd. Silver
500 Grape Brandy St Agnes VSOP 5YO St Agnes Distillery Bronze Liqueur: Won by Adelaide Hills Distillery’s Bitter
ORANGE APERITIF – Category Product Name Distiller Medal
600 Fruit Liqueur Braccioforte Limoncello 40ᵒ XO Braccio Forte Pty Ltd Gold
600 Fruit Liqueur Marionette Dry Cassis Cap & Bells Pty Ltd Gold
600 Fruit Liqueur Marionette Apricot Brandy Liqueur Cap & Bells Pty Ltd Silver
600 Fruit Liqueur Applewood Limoncello Ochre Nation Silver
600 Fruit Liqueur Braccioforte Sanguinello Braccio Forte Pty Ltd Bronze
600 Fruit Liqueur Marionette Mure Cap & Bells Pty Ltd Bronze
600 Fruit Liqueur Marionette Groseille Cap & Bells Pty Ltd Bronze
600 Fruit Liqueur KIS Zenzerino KI Spirits Bronze
600 Fruit Liqueur Fig Aperitif Pot & Still Bronze
600 Fruit Liqueur Sassy Sister Liqueur Sassy Sister Liqueur Bronze
601 Herbal / Botanical Liqueur Ruby Bitter Aperitif Imperial Measures Distilling Silver
601 Herbal / Botanical Liqueur Joadja Distillery Anis Joadja Distillery Silver
601 Herbal / Botanical Liqueur Økar Amaro Ochre Nation Silver
601 Herbal / Botanical Liqueur KIS Anisette Liqueur KI Spirits Bronze
601 Herbal / Botanical Liqueur Bitter Orange Aperitif Adelaide Hills Distillery Gold + Best Liqueur
602 Nut Liqueur Naked Amaretto White Possum Silver
603 Coffee Liqueur Coffee Liqueur The Canberra Distillery Silver
603 Coffee Liqueur Carter’s Coffee Liqueur Ochre Nation Bronze
ALTERNATE SPIRITS – Category Product Name Distiller Medal
700 New Make Unaged Spirit Taylor and Smith Moonshine Taylor and Smith Distilling Co Bronze
701 Fruit Brandy Apple Brandy Adelaide Hills Distillery Silver
702 Pomace Brandy Tsipouro Traditional Vittorio Spirits Vittorio Spirits Gold + Best
702 Pomace Brandy Rakomelo Vittorio Spirits Vittorio Spirits Bronze
702 Pomace Brandy Tsipouro Aniseed Vittorio Spirits Vittorio Spirits Bronze
703 Absinthe The Grove Absinthe The Grove Distillery & Brewery Bronze
705 Other (not in any other class) East Coast Baijiu OGS Distillery Pty. Ltd Gold
705 Other (not in any other class) Stockholm Syndrome Akvavit Never Never Distilling Co Pty Ltd Silver
You may also like… Australian Distillery Directory
