The St Agnes Distillery in Renmark, South Australia is claiming to have made the Riverland’s first-ever legal whisky. The over 100-year-old distillery is located on the banks of the River Murray and has been well-known for its production of super premium XO brandies for more than 90 years. The production of single malt whisky marks a new step and change in direction in the distillery’s evolution.

The new whisky according to the family-owned distillery was made under a small batch whisky project and is currently being transferred into small oak barrels.

“Brandy takes time, patience and craft and we see similarities with whisky. Our aim is to produce a super-premium single malt whisky that has character and vibrancy. A whisky that shows the benefits of ageing in small oak and speaks to the history of our historic barrel halls,” fifth generation family member and Director of the distillery, Richard Angove said.

St Agnes worked with the South Australian Coopers Brewery to make a classic single malt beer base for the whisky. Richard Angove said that the distillery also used classic Scotish method and a touch of its unique Australian brandy making expertise.

“The whisky was double distilled in Copper Pot #1 in our 100-year-old distillery,” Richard Angove added.

The fresh whisky will now rest in the selected barrels for a number of years.

Master Distiller Ben Horley said, “We will be assessing the whisky regularly but it will be a number of years before we will see the release. Oak maturation takes time and patience and we are lucky that we have these.”

St Agnes Distillery Marketing Manager, Matt Redin, told drinks bulletin that it will be around eight to ten years before the whisky will be released and that the distillery will be using that time to come up with a name for it.