Earlier this week, St Agnes Distillery added to its list of accolades when it collected the champion Best Distilled Spirit of Show trophy at the inaugural Sydney Royal Distilled Spirits Show for St Agnes XO Grand Reserve.
The 40-year-old brandy was deemed Australia’s best spirit by judges, also claiming the JJ McWilliam Perpetual Trophy for Best Brandy at the awards ceremony held in Sydney on Tuesday 17 September.
Richard Angove, fifth-generation family custodian of St Agnes, told The Shout: “St Agnes is Australia’s oldest continually-operated craft distillery, and to win Best Brandy and Best Distilled Spirit in Sydney this week tops off a fantastic couple of months for St Agnes, and is just reward for what is a very complex spirit that requires a lot of patience and dedication to craft.
“To think we have held this in small oak barrels for, in some cases, over 40 years before we release it is quite astounding. Bill Lark kickstarted the whisky revolution in Australia and it would be fantastic for us to do the same in brandy with more distilleries laying down grape spirit for release in years to come.”
Aged for four decades in carefully selected small oak casks, tasting notes for St Agnes XO Grand Reserve describe deep notes of dried fruit, vanilla and spice with a velvety smooth finish enhanced by the meticulous ageing process.
Referring to the amount of brandy that evaporates from the barrels during ageing, and its impact on the resulting liquid, Angove said: “The cool, dark barrel halls at the St Agnes Distillery limit the amount lost to the angels share but the loss is still significant at about one to two per cent per year.
“We are privileged to have such aged treasures to bottle and sell and looking after them is paramount and a big focus for the distillery team. The resulting concentration of flavours creates a spirit that is unlike anything else in Australia.”
A world-class offering
The JJ McWilliam Perpetual Trophy marked the third Best Brandy trophy received by the South Australian distillery in just two months, adding to a string of awards that highlight the exceptional quality and craftmanship that defines St Agnes.
Completing the trio of Best Brandy trophies are those awarded by the Tasting Australia Spirit Awards and the Melbourne Royal Australian Distilled Spirits Awards, where St Agnes was also named Champion Australian Distiller.
Angove recalled: “In 1925 when my great grandfather laid down the first St Agnes Brandy, he wanted to create a spirit that was unlike anything that was currently made in Australia – a lighter, fresher style in line with the great Cognacs from France.
“It is a style and method that remains unchanged to this day, and I think the proof that he started something world class is evidenced by the accolades all brandies in the St Agnes range are receiving, from the humble VS all the way through to the current ultimate expression XO 40-Year-Old Grand Reserve.”
Underscoring the distillery’s commitment to producing premium brandies that exemplify both tradition and innovation, Angove says such prestigious awards are confirmation that Australian brandy, particularly St Agnes, is a world-class offering and should be used and sold by retailers, bars and clubs.
“We felt so strongly about this that five years ago we gathered a group of top bartenders and mixologists together in Melbourne to create St Agnes Bartenders Cut, a brandy created by bartenders for bartenders,” he explains.
“This is a brandy that is designed to be used in cocktails and mixed drinks with an older age statement of eight years and a higher alcohol of 44 per cent.”
Next year, as the distillery embarks on its 100th anniversary, celebrations will include a number of special, extremely limited releases and commemorative events.