Never Never Distilling Co. won Champion Australian Distiller for the second year in a row at the Australian Distilled Spirits Awards. The Victorian distiller, based in McLaren Vale, also won Champion Navy Gin for its Juniper Freak Gin and Champion London Dry Gin for their Triple Juniper Export Strength Gin.
The awards, run by Melbourne Royal, were established in 2015 and have experienced exponential growth as Australian distilling industry has taken off.
Melbourne Royal CEO Brad Jenkins said this year saw a record number of entries.
“The interest and growth of the awards has been extraordinary. This year there were a record 764 entries from 191 distilleries, which is more than a twenty per cent increase on 2020,” Jenkins said.
Queensland’s Beenleigh Distillery was awarded a gold medal for its Flood Rum, rounding out a year of accolades from around the world, including the International Spirits Challenge, International Wine and Spirit Competition and the San Francisco World Spirit Competition.
Beenleigh Distillery production manager Steven Magarry said a rum like The Flood Rum was unlikely to be ever seen again.
“In March 2017 the Queensland based Beenleigh Distillery was battered by one of the most destructive floods in its history with the water level falling just short of the flood levels of 1974 and 1887, halting distillery activity for six months and devastating production.
“Flood waters rose so quickly and caused major damage to our water pumps, which meant the rum that had been fermenting in tanks at the time of the flood was stuck for six months before it could be accessed.
“When our Distillery was operational again, our experienced distillers were able to run the ferment through our Copper Pot Still and produce a rum that was bottled by hand with no additives and non-chill filtered.
“Aptly named The Flood Rum, it really shows how finding a new way of thinking can turn a difficult situation into an opportunity and we’re proud that from adversity, an award-winning, consumer favourite rum was born,” he said.
Magarry said it was an honour to accept the gold medal on behalf of the Beenleigh Distillery team in recognition of their hard work and commitment to distilling excellence.
NED Australian Whisky was founded by Top Shelf International and is currently the fastest growing whisky brand in the country. Its second release the Wanted Series: Flair of NED was awarded gold, as was its Wanted Series: Loyalty of NED.
Its whisky is distilled from all Australian grown grain, mashed and fermented in Melbourne with its own proprietary process, which takes the best of single malt production and combines it with sour mash techniques. Aged in new and second fill American oak, the whisky takes it mellow character from the changeable Melbourne weather.
Every barrel is tasted and assessed before being harvested, hand bottled, hand labelled, and delivered to consumers national wide.
2021 Australian Distilled Spirits Awards Trophy Winning Spirits
Champion Australian Distiller
Never Never Distilling Co, South Australia
Champion Victorian Distiller Presented by the Treasurer of Victoria
JimmyRum, Victoria
Raymond B 'Spike' Dessert III Trophy for Champion Rum
Bundaberg, Master Distillers' Collection - Small Batch Reserve., Queensland
Champion Brandy
St Agnes Distillery, St Agnes XO Imperial 20-year-old, South Australia
Champion Whisky Presented by Cryer Malt
Archie Rose Distilling Co., Rye Malt Whisky, New South Wales
Champion Vodka Presented by Plasdene Glass-Pak
Mobius Distilling Co., 38 Special Vodka, New South Wales
Champion Vermouth
Regal Rogue, Regal Rogue Lively White, New South Wales
Champion Victorian Gin Presented by the Minister for Agriculture
Naught Distilling, Naught Australian Dry Gin, Victoria
Champion Navy Gin
Never Never Distilling Co, Juniper Freak Gin, South Australia
Champion London Dry Gin Presented by Bintani
Never Never Distilling Co, Triple Juniper Export Strength Gin, South Australia
Champion New World / Contemporary Gin Presented by Bintani
Naught Distilling, Naught Australian Dry Gin, Victoria
Champion Other Gin
Imbue Distillery, Suburban Barrel Aged Gin, Victoria
Champion Liqueur
Mobius Distilling Co. Moreau Apple Pie Liqueur, New South Wales
Champion Alternative Spirit
Boatrocker Brewing and Distilling, Boatrocker Coolship Rye, Victoria
Champion Aromatic
Cap & Bells, Marionette Bitter Orange Curacao, Victoria
Champion Cane Spirit
JimmyRum, JimmyRum Silver, Victoria
Champion Australian Small Batch Spirit Presented by MCC Labels
Chief’s Son, Cask Expression Release 4 Imperial Stout, Victoria
Champion Australian Micro Batch Spirit
Ginny Pig Distillery, Botanic Gin, South Australia
Consistency of Excellence (2019, 2020 & 2021)
Cap & Bells, Marrionette Dry Cassis, Victoria
