A Bridgewater distillery has taken out the world’s best single cask rye whisky at the prestigious World Whiskies Awards.
Greenbanks Tasmanian Whisky Co won top honour in its first entry to the competition, beating more than 9,000 entries from 52 whisky-producing regions around the world.
They joined Cambridge’s Sullivans Cove who won their category in the World’s Best Single Cask Single Malt for the fourth time at the same awards in London.
Co-founder of Greenbanks Hugh Roxburgh said the win was “an incredible honour” for the team.
“We were thrilled to be named global finalists in two categories and are grateful to bring home a trophy,” he said.
“To be recognised on the world stage, especially in the first World Whiskies Awards we’ve entered, is a huge achievement.”
The winning whisky came from cask CS-027, which Roxburgh said was ironically the most accessible barrel at the distillery and regularly sampled by staff.
“It was just one cask within a batch of 28, which gives us great confidence that there are many others in this batch that are just as good, if not better,” he said.
Head distiller John Slattery described the whisky’s evolution from white pepper spice notes to “confectionery-like characters of fairy floss and butter menthols”, before developing tropical fruit flavours.
“Round that out with a nice silky palate, and a long finish, and it’s a whisky that the team and I are incredibly proud of,” he said.
Executive chairman Tim Salt said the win reinforced Tasmania’s growing reputation as a premium whisky region.
“For a small island, Tasmania continues to show up on the world stage in a way few regions can,” he said.
“We’re proud to be playing our part in that story.”
The award-winning whisky will become Greenbanks’ first official release once bottled.
The same cask previously won equal world’s best rye whisky at last year’s International Wine & Spirits Competition.
