Watch out malts – Australian rye whisky has arrived

Julian White -
Whisky Reviews
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On tasting: Belgrove Rye Whisky, Heartwood ‘Heartgrove#1’, Archie Rose Rye Malt Whisky and Tiger Snake Rye of the Tiger.

Next to the dozens of single malts that dominate the Australian whisky family, Rye whisky is the alternative, mysterious cousin. But the dedicated Australian distillers making quality rye certainly feel there’s a place at the table for this historic and storied style.   

Consider Australia’s insatiable thirst for Bourbon and the recent surge in interest in American rye whiskey, and it’s easy to see why a number of local distillers have developed their own iterations. Whether it’s The Gospel Distillers pushing the boundaries with their young Solera Rye spirit, the recently released Buckley’s Rye Whiskey – an American-made, Australian-branded rye, hmm… – through to the eagerly anticipated Backwoods rye whisky due out early 2020, the train’s moving and there’s plenty jumping on board.      

I thoroughly recommend tasting Australia’s top rye whiskies next to each other like this. There are certainly differences in profile between them, particularly due to the various mash bills and maturation techniques at play. And then you’re constantly thinking about comparisons to the spicy, dill pickle, nutmeg, Big Red American style we’ve all come to love.   

How does Aussie rye stack up? Do we see some Australian hallmarks emerging? Let’s take a look.  

  • Belgrove Rye Whisky
    The Stats
    • ABV: 46%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Rye whisky
    • Production Story: 100% rye whisky, paddock to bottle, grown, distilled and matured at Belgrove Distillery. Bottled November 2018. 
    • Location: Kempton, TAS
    • Score: 83
    Nose
    Immediately agricultural – green grass and hay. Minimal oak influence, obviously not virgin oak, so you get the unvarnished grunt of the spirit: the cereal section of a health food shop or a livestock feed lot.  
    Palate
    Vegetal again, delicate sweetness, but Peter’s rye also gives you that funky, rich, almost mushroom-like earthiness.  
    Finish
    If you ever get to try a Turkey tail mushroom, they have a strange woodiness about them – Belgrove finishes like that. Not astringent, tannic, or dry, but leaves with you with a woody, husky impression.   
    Comments
    Knowing the Belgrove production process is vital to understanding and appreciating Peter’s whiskies. But many don’t get there. Complexity so tightly woven, even the fan can get tangled.  
  • Heartwood “Heartgrove#1” Muscat / Sherry Cask 
    The Stats
    • ABV: 55.2%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Rye whisky
    • Production Story: Distilled at Belgrove Distillery and matured, as Tim Duckett says, ‘…firstly in a muscat cask and then a sherry cask, both first fills. Long story, two barrels, three decantings’. 
    • Location: Kempton, TAS
    • Score: 87
    Nose
    Blackberry jam and black pepper. Super juicy! Almost like blackcurrant cordial, but underneath, that classic, grassy Belgrove spirit is lurking.  
    Palate
    Still Belgrove through and through. The funky, husky character is surprisingly balanced against syrupy, berry flavours from the muscat cask. Quite the rollercoaster ride from agricultural funk into elite fortified wine maturation with serious age.   
    Finish
    Clean and citrusy, with a chewy, sweet grain character lingering.
    Comments
    While the thick fortified flavours do feel like a bit of a bolt on, there’s real harmony here, too. The earthiness holds to give a distinctly rye finish.  
  • Archie Rose Rye Malt Whisky, Batch 2
    The Stats
    • ABV: 46% 
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Rye whisky
    • Production Story: Distilled at Archie Rose from a base of pale malt and rye malt, and matured for a minimum two years in virgin American oak. For full details, see the spirit data on Archie's website – remarkable level of transparency.
    • Location: Sydney, NSW
    • Score: 89
    Nose
    Much more akin to an American rye – timber forward, a little tart, with furniture polish and upfront American oak. As the rye pokes through, plasticine, ginger snaps and red raspberries.  
    Palate
    Toasty, caraway, dark chocolate and damp forest floor. Red gum honey and nutmeg.  
    Finish
    The sweetness lasts nicely into the finish and complexity continues to develop. Orange rind and Dutch cocoa dominate.
    Comments
    For those looking to graduate from American rye or Bourbon, this is a great step up. Plenty to chew on and delight in, but perhaps not a whole lot of new flavours to get your teeth into. Important to note that, compared to quite a few Aussie ryes, wood is a more prominent player here without, thankfully, being a mouthful of leather.     
  • Tiger Snake Rye of the Tiger Australian Whiskey
    The Stats
    • ABV: 55%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Rye whisky
    • Production Story: Made from 60% rye and 40% pale malt and matured in a combination of new and used American oak casks.
    • Location: Albany and Porongurup, WA
    • Score: 82
    Nose
    Very sweet, lemon cream, hints of crayon wax and lemongrass, not much timber influence, but what’s there gives you delicate vanilla and white sugar.  
    Palate
    The weight of the spirit sits like a heavy malt. A good hit of vanilla again on the palate and hints of nutmeg and cereal. Water helps bring out the earthier, rye notes.  
    Finish
    Clean and citrusy, with only the sweetness of the grain to chew on.
    Comments
    Not hugely complex, but a cleverly thought-out maturation policy for the spirit type. Had more oak influence been thrown at this whisky, the rye element would be lost, but the oak has neatly cleaned up the spirit and dressed it in a pine lime ice cream casing.  
How We Score
Julian White
Julian White is the co-owner of Melbourne’s Whisky & Alement and the driving force behind its importing arm the Independent Whisky Company. When he’s not scouring the planet for old and obscure bottlings, and creating daring whisky and beer projects for Australia’s curious drinkers, he’s a panel chair at the Australian Distilled Spirits Awards and a presenter, whisky educator and consultant.