Top Shelf International

Thanks to Global Victoria for the opportunity to be part of this fantastic event alongside our fellow Victorian distillers!

Tapping into the growth of flavoured whisky, the latest release from TSI’s R&D program is NED’s Golden Bickie, a whisky liqueur created to capture the nostalgia of classic Aussie biscuits. The release is a quintessentially Australian entrant into the category, with nostalgic notes of golden syrup, coconut and oats in a whisky form. The product is making its mark in the trade with reviews like the below confirming its arrival into one of alcohol’s fastest growing segments. Drinks Trade "Filled with rich golden syrup and coconut sweetness… will appeal to the Fireball and Sheep Dog consumer.” NED Golden Bickie is currently available online and will be available in Coles and independent retail in the coming weeks. https://lnkd.in/gjT5RXa6

We're still on a high after NED Grand Reward joined Act of Treason Australian Agave Reposado in being awarded a Gold medal at the Australian Distilled Spirits Awards. Aged in re-coopered and re-charred Victorian High Country Tawny barrels to our detailed specification, NED Grand Reserve is the culmination of years of innovation and experimentation, and conviction in what NED is capable of; a corn mash bill Australian whisky created of its own unique environment carrying the unmistakable character of Kelly Country through its grain, distillation and casks. And it would seem the judges agree: “Lovely soft nutty oak and vanilla on the nose, well integrated with spirit. Smells very true to style. Soft ripe fruit, lovely sweetness and texture through the palate backed up by really high quality oak character that lingers through the finish. Complex and very well executed.” #craftspirits #austrailanwhisky #australianmade #whisky

It’s crept up on us, but this month marks the 10th anniversary of TSI and NED Whisky. In the first week of August 2014, trademarks were filed for both Top Shelf International and NED to set the ball rolling on what has been a decade of growth, ups, downs and everything in between! This time 10 years ago, NED was just a dream; a sketch on a piece of paper for an Australian whisky brand that competed on price but exceeded on taste against the entrenched global competition. So a small, very enthusiastic and diverse (some would say motley) group of believers, with co-founders Drew Fairchild and Jason Redfern leading the charge, came together to try and bring it to life! The idea became reality later that year when the first NED product rolled off the production line at 6am three days before Xmas. The NED Whisky & Cola 4.8% RTD (a 700ml bottle was still 5 years away) was then sold by Jason door-to-door from the back of a ute all over Victoria. Fast forward to today and TSI is unrecognisable from its scrappy and modest beginnings. While a lot has changed in a decade, the vision and opportunity remains – to give Aussie drinkers premium spirit brands to proudly call their own. The number of Australian spirits producers has also grown exponentially over the last 10 years. Australian brands are recognised for their quality around the world thanks to this country’s innovation, expertise and quality of its raw ingredients. However the specific excise regime that spirits is subjected to – the third highest rate in the world – is the single biggest factor limiting the opportunity for Australian spirits to soar and reach its potential. So while it’s more challenging out there at the moment than anyone in the Australian spirits industry would like, here’s cheers to 10 years and to 10 more after that!

This is a great piece by the Australian Distillers Association highlighting the ongoing challenges faced by spirits manufacturers across the country.

As part of Act of Treason Australian Agave's nationwide launch into Dan Murphy's, an education program is being rolled out to staff that includes a section on why we can't call it T*quila. 😉 Thanks to Small Batch Learning for its expertise in bringing the training sessions to life.

We had the pleasure of hosting the crew from Seven Queensland's Weekender at the Australian Agave spirit farm and distillery to show them where we are producing our gold medal-winning Act of Treason. #7Weekender Seven Productions Thanks to Bowen Tourism for its support.

Crafted from True Blue Aussie Agave. Happy International (Don't Call It) T*quila Day.

In advance of International (Don’t Call it) T*quila Day tomorrow, we’ve launched Act of Treason Reposado Single Barrel, the latest release from the Australian Agave Spirit Farm and Distillery. As the name suggests, only a single barrel was filled for this inaugural release. The spirit was rested in an American oak, ex-Australian Whisky barrel until it delivered an elegant profile of balanced citrus and butterscotch with a hint of pepper. https://lnkd.in/gJ4Ek5xR

“I think what happened in the wine industry 40 years ago is going to happen in the development of New World agave in Australia and the US.” The new era of agave is here, and Act of Treason and our Australian agave spirit farm in the Whitsundays are leading the charge.