Australia - A growing market with many whiskey styles

Although not typically known for its whisky, Australia does produce some fine spirits including a range of single malts. Since the early 90's, the industry has seen steady growth, particularly in the boutique craft distillery scene. As a result, Australian whiskey distilleries are becoming increasingly well known for their distinctive take on a classic spirit that is capturing the attention of whiskey lovers from around the world.

In 2020 there were about 50 active whiskey distilleries in Australia, with Tasmania hosting the largest concentration of whiskey distilleries.

This is because the conditions in Tasmania are very suitable for whiskey making. The climate has large diurnal and seasonal temperature variations, which is desirable for whiskey aging. Tasmania distilleries also claim to use some of the finest water quality in the world.

One of the Tasmanian distilleries is Hellyers Road , which quickly rose to become the largest distillery in Tasmania in 2012 and became the best selling local boutique distillery in all of Australia in 2015.

Many of the whiskeys made in Australia use malting barley instead of traditional distilling barley - malting barley has a slightly different and stronger flavor than distilling barley; this gives many Australian whiskeys a unique flavor.

Starward , a Victorian whiskey distillery, is renowned for its wine cask whiskey, aged exclusively in Barossa wine casks.