Australian whiskies and distilleries have been celebrated at the 2024 World Whiskies Awards and Icons of Whisky Awards, with 16 Australian whiskies receiving Category Winner Gold medals alongside a number of prestigious awards.
Tasmanian distillery Hellyers Road was Australia’s most awarded distillery at the 2024 World Whiskies Awards, taking the title of Best Australian in three categories, which Jeremy Rockliff MP, Premier of Tasmania, says “marks more global recognition for the excellent quality of whisky coming out of Tasmania”, giving his congratulations to the Hellyers team.
Hellyers Road American Oak 16 Years Old took the title of Best Australian Single Cask Single Malt, while Hellyers Road Dark Harmony and Hellyers Road Voyager Cask were awarded Best Australian Blended Limited Release and Best Australian Single Small Batch Single Malt respectively. The distillery also scooped four Category Winner Gold medals.
Hellyers Road Managing Director and CEO Derek Charge says the awards are a testament to the team’s commitment to crafting exceptional Australian spirits.
“Receiving these prestigious accolades is a moment of immense pride for us, as it not only highlights Tasmania’s rich legacy of distillation expertise, but justifies our faith in both mastering and building up Australia’s largest stock of aged whisky.”
Fiona Coutts, Head Distiller, added: “This is fantastic news, and I can assure whisky connoisseurs we have much, much more aged stock of equal or greater quality in our barrels that is set to come to maturity in the coming months and years.”
Nine other Australian distilleries were announced as Category Winners at the World Whiskies Awards, including Backwoods Distilling Co, Coastal Stone, Eden, Hillwood Whisky, Iniquity, Lark, Sullivans Cove, The Gospel, Transportation Whiskey, Waubs Harbour Distillery and Whipper Snapper.
In another triumph for Tasmania, Sullivans Cove Distillery added four awards to its list of accolades at the 2024 Icons of Whisky Awards.
The whisky brand made history when it became the first Australian-born brand to win Craft Producer of the Year at the 2022 Icons of Whisky Awards, and at the 2024 awards, Sullivans Cove Distillery was named Brand Innovator of the Year in addition to taking home Sales Team of the Year.
Individual awards were also given to two of Sullivan Cove’s staff members, with Heather Tillott named Distillery Manager of the Year and Ally Bhana awarded World Whisky – Global Brand Ambassador of the Year.
Sullivan Cove Managing Director Adam Sable said: “To be recognised on the world stage for being the best at what we do is humbling and validating. Every day we go about our craft with pride, performing the countless small steps in the process of making whisky without compromise. It’s this mindset that underpins our continued success.”
Tillot said that it is Sullivan Cove’s slow process and meticulous approach to its single cask whisky that solidifies the distillery as a leader in the world of whiskies.
“We pride ourselves on our blend of traditional and innovative approaches and we are so pleased to receive global acclaim for our top quality processes, team and product.”
In the Rest of World category at the 2024 Icons of Whisky Awards, the following awards were issued to Australian recipients:
- Scotch Whisky – Global Best Brand Ambassador: Seamus Carroll, The Whisky Club
- Communicator: Andrew Derbidge, Whisky & Wisdom
- Craft Producer: Callington Mill Distillery
- Master Distiller/Master Blender: Ian Thorn, The Gospel Whiskey
- Visitor Attraction Manager: Michelle Burns, The Aisling Distillery
- Visitor Attraction: Callington Mill Distillery