Tasting

Smoke is largely absent in Victoria, unlike on Islay. The typical whisky from Melbourne tastes like whatever was in the barrel before it. Red berries, dark dried fruit, and a sweetness that recalls a glass of Shiraz more than a smoky hearth.

It's best tasted from a narrow nosing glass that concentrates the aromas. A few drops of still water suit it well, opening up the fruit notes, especially in the bolder, cask-strength bottlings, rather than drowning them.

Starward Nova shows this style in its purest form. In 2016, it was named the world's best new craft whisky. It matures in a mix of red wine casks and tastes accordingly of berries, vanilla, and a light spice reminiscent of warm wood.

Anyone still wanting smoke will find it at Bakery Hill in Bayswater. Its Peated Malt is one of the few peated bottlings on the continent. It shows that Victoria can master the smoky style too, even if rarely.

Archie Rose's rye malt whisky from Sydney takes a very different path, named the world's best rye whisky in 2020. It tastes spicier and sharper than the soft wine-cask whiskies of Victoria, but it shows well just how broad the spectrum has become across the Australian mainland.

Western Australia is also worth a look beyond Victoria. Limeburners from Albany was named the best international craft whisky by the American Distilling Institute in 2017 and again in 2020. Compared to Victoria's wine-cask whiskies, it tastes more straightforward, a reminder of just how differently Australian whisky can turn out despite similar casks.