Most people would be daunted taking on the Scots and British in whisky making, but in a stunning upset Cauldron Distillery has won a major award for its first-ever whisky.
The Tamborine Mountain distillery entered its Queensland Single Malt Whisky into the prestigious International Wine and Spirits Award in London and was awarded a silver medal with a score of 94 out of 100.
“We are chuffed as a small producer to have our whisky judged as the top six in the world,” said Darren Stewart, head distiller and managing director.
He said a score of 95 and above is a gold medal, with the top entry receiving a 98.
The win is a validation of the distillery’s unique Queensland methods.
Unlike traditional Scottish whisky aged in cool, stable dunnage warehouses, Cauldron’s spirit matures at altitude in an environment of wide-ranging temperature fluctuations.
“It’s a patience game,” Darren said, noting the spirit was made in 2021 when the distillery opened and aged for two years in American oak before being finished in an Australian Apera cask.
“A small craft distillery out of Queensland, not known for whisky, making and barrel-aging on site at altitude is a unique selling point.”
For Darren and co-founder Greg Dower, who travelled to London for the awards, the result was a major confidence boost.
“It gave us a sense we were on the right track. I don’t have a lot of mentors in Queensland that can teach me,” Darren admitted.
“We are still learning and exploring different grains, yeast, and barrel types,” he said.
“We are not trying to copy the Scots or the English; we are trying to make a Queensland whisky that reflects our state.”
In addition to the whisky award, Cauldron’s barrel-aged Christmas gin also won a silver medal, with several other gins receiving bronze.
Cauldron Distillery have now embarked on a unique partnership with the University of Queensland on a food and beverage accelerator program.
They have planted 400 Australian native botanicals including: lemon myrtle, finger limes, Davidson plum, and mountain pepper berry, to be used in their gin and vermouth production.
The project will compare the viability of these native plants against traditional grapevines.
“We are just too wet here for grape vines to grow effectively,” Darren said.
Cauldron is also establishing a benefit-sharing agreement to allow Indigenous people to utilise these native products.
“We are just scratching the surface of the native plants available,” he said.
“It’s an authentic story to be able to harvest and preserve these ingredients. It will be a grass-to-glass product.
“We chose Tamborine Mountain because we are inspired every day by the serenity and the creativity of the people here.”
