Australia has become a hotbed for innovative single malts. These five finalists for Best Australian Single Malt at the 2025 SFWSC show the category’s bold range. Tasting notes below.
Over the past decade, Australia has emerged as a distinctive hub for innovative single malt whiskies. With more than 300 distilleries, the country has consistently earned medals at international spirits competitions. Five expressions showcasing the diversity of Australian whisky are finalists for the World’s Best Australian Single Malt Whisky at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Below are brief backgrounds and tasting notes for these intriguing finalists.
Headlands Distilling Co., Illawarra Plum Cask Whisky, 46% ABV, 750 ml. $155
Headlands Distilling Co., located in Wollongong, New South Wales, is celebrated for its innovative use of native Australian ingredients. The Illawarra Plum Cask Whiskyrepresents a world-first, matured in casks that have been seasoned with Illawarra plums. This native fruit adds notes of dark berries, black plum, and mulberry, along with earthy, resinous undertones and hints of balsamic.
The whisky is fruity and herbaceous, showcasing notes of berries, vanilla, caramel, cut grass, and dried fruit. It’s light yet flavorful on the palate, revealing plum jam, vanilla, caramel, honey, and caramel apple flavors. The finish is long, with lingering hints of caramel, dried fruit, and subtle plum notes.
Archie Rose Distilling Co. Single Malt Whisky, 46% ABV, 750 ml. $119
Based in Sydney, Archie Rose Distilling Co. is a leader in the Australian craft whiskey industry. Its single malt whiskey features a blend of six different malts, matured primarily in Australian apera (sherry-style) casks, ex-bourbon casks, and custom-toasted ex-rye casks. This meticulous blending process produces a flavorful whiskey with layered complexity.
The whisky boasts a flavorful and complex nose, featuring stone fruit notes of dried apricots and canned peaches, honeycomb, golden raisins, cooked cereal, roasted nuts, and hints of dark chocolate. It’s viscous on the palate with a significant mouthfeel, exhibiting flavors of golden raisin, dried fruit, coffee, hazelnut syrup, vanilla, and caramel. The finish is long and dry, with lingering notes of dried fruits and cold smoke.
Starward, Single Barrel Captain’s Pick #2, 55.2% ABV, 750 ml. $79
Starward, located in Melbourne, is recognized for its innovative approach to whisky-making. The Captain’s Pick #2 is a single barrel release, originally filled into an American oak red wine barrel in 2016, and later finished in a heavily charred American oak hogshead.
The whisky showcases Starward’s signature red berry notes on the nose, accompanied by orchard fruits, subtle wood spices, and seasoned oak. The palate reveals flavors of berry cobbler, vanilla, caramel, and spice hints of cinnamon and clove. The finish is long and sweet, with lingering red berry and dried fruit notes.
Starward, Single Barrel #8193, 54.9% ABV, 750 ml. $165
Starward is well-known for its extensive release of single-barrel bottlings. This expression, aged in a cask that previously held red wine from Australia’s Barossa Valley, reflects Starward’s preference for aging whisky in Australian red wine barrels.
The whisky is rich and aromatic on the nose, featuring dark chocolate, coffee, dried black fruits like blackberry and raisin, and subtle wood spices. It’s robust on the palate with pronounced notes of dark chocolate, red and black berries, vanilla, caramel, and spiced hints of cinnamon and a touch of clove. The finish is long, with lingering notes of dried fruit, spice, caramel, and a hint of cooked cereal.
Callington Mill Distillery, Pedro Ximénez Single Malt Whisky, 46% ABV, 750 ml.
Callington Single Malt Whisky is an outstanding expression from Tasmania’s Callington Mill Distillery in the historic town of Oatlands. This whisky is aged in ex-Pedro Ximénez sherry casks sourced from Jerez, Spain. PX casks lend a rich and complex fruity character to the spirit. Bottled at 46% ABV, it has already garnered medals at several international spirit competitions.
The whisky presents cinnamon, almond, and toasted nut aromas on the nose. The palate reveals complex layers of salted caramel, furniture polish, dark chocolate, and chewy toffee. The finish is long and fruity, with lingering notes of dried dates and caramel. This release is not yet available in the US.
The SFWSC is one of the world’s most respected and influential spirits competitions. Founded in 2000, it assembles industry experts to perform blind tastings across various spirit categories. Awards from the SFWSC are highly sought after, often functioning as a benchmark of quality and craftsmanship in the global spirits industry.
The 2025 SFWSC Australian single malt finalists showcase the remarkable variety of Australian single malt whiskey, highlighting a spectrum of innovative cask finishes, blending techniques, and maturation strategies. They demonstrate how Australian craft distillers are redefining the aroma and flavor profile of malt whiskey. If you’re a fan of single malt whisky, you owe it to yourself to explore the malt whiskies from down under!
This article was originally published on forbes.com.
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