Archie Rose Rye Malt Australian Whisky (700ml)

This is the World's Best Rye! - World Whisky Awards 2020

Dave Withers has preferenced malted rye (and malted barley) over the far more commonly used unmalted rye to create a 'halfway' style. Why? "Using malted rye creates a more mellow rye flavour." explains Withers. "Some American rye whiskies [which use unmalted rye] are really big spice bombs. We wanted to bring that back a little bit and make something that sat between a single malt and something with that big, spicy intensity. We call this a ‘rye-malt whisky’ because it’s halfway between the two.”

Matured in custom-made, virgin American oak casks, the wood used here is air dried, meaning the cut timber is left in the open for three years in order to break down some of the harshness. "It gives this really lovely, integrated oak flavour” says Withers. Sydney's wide diurnal temperature range works the casks hard, so the whisky achieves near perfect balance at a relatively young age - around 2.5 years.

While Wither's admits rye is a pain in the neck to work with - difficult to mash and difficult to distil - he's adamant there's something special about it. Instant success has encouraged further batches, so expect this to be an ongoing series.

Franz Scheurer, of Australian Gourmet Pages and Gourmet Traveller Wine magazine describes the new whisky as “Layered and complex and a pure joy to drink. The best bloody rye whisky in today’s world.” We received a small sample of Batch #6. It has the mouthfeel of a single malt, but with a Bourbonesque profile. There are gorgeous aromas of Castlemaine Rock (peppermint & honeycomb), vanillan oak and honey cornflake crackles. Mouth coating and moreish; Lots of wood pick up too, but in the best possible way; buttery, long, perfectly balanced. Hints of caraway and dark bread, then whisps of toasty oak and oily grains ring through the aftertaste. Normally aggressive rye spices are tamed, so this is softer and sweeter than traditional styles - somewhere between old-school rye and a rich Speyside single malt. It's already won a host of awards, not least, World's Best Rye at the World Whisky Awards in London 2020. Critical acclaim continues to roll in. 46% Alc./Vol.

Other reviews... An apple-led nose with dried apples and dry cider, some anise, caraway and toasted bread crust. Palate has a thick, almost creamy texture. Spiced sponge, light ginger and star anise. Initial sweetness dries out with a medium, nutty, dry fruit finish.- World Whisky Awards London 2020

...Unless you have access to some very unusual whiskies I can guarantee that this is unlike any rye you have tasted before. It is like a mix of 3/4 crisp, clean, sherried scotch and 1/4 soft bourbon, with just a hint of rye. It has virtually no prickle, sharpness or spice but it is far from bland. It's a sweetly elegant rye with no bombast and it is bottled at moderate abv. The mashbill is a secret but the creamy, honeyed tones it displays are not due to minimal rye content, but rather the fact that they use malted rye instead of an unmalted rye mash. This is effectively a single malt whisky made with a mixture of Australian La Trobe barley and lightly kilned German rye, and it's absolutely delicious. I'd go so far as to say it is one of the best Aussie whiskies I've tasted and considering the reasonable price I'd highly recommend it. - distiller.com

• Best Grain Whisky - 2025 Melbourne Royal Australian International Spirit Awards

• Australia's Best Rye Whisky - Drink Easy Awards

• Australia's Best Rye Whisky - New York Wine & Spirits Competition

• Double Gold - 2024 Sip Awards

• World's Best Rye Whisky - World Whisky Masters (London)

• Australia's Best Rye Whisky - San Francisco World Spirits Competition (USA)

• Australia's Best Rye Whisky - International Wine & Spirits Competition (London)

• Australia's Best Rye Whisky - Los Angeles International Spirits Competition (USA)

• Australia's Best Rye Whisky - SIP Awards (USA)

• Best Rye Whisky - International Review of Spirits