Sarah knows I am a whisky enthusiast and came across the perfect gift for an anniversary present. Not a bottle of whisky, but an experience involving whisky. This whisky blending experience is offered by Archie Rose Distillery in the inner Sydney Suburb of Rosebery.

The Whisky Blending experience is great for everyone, from those not toofond of whisky to the connoisseur. The tour begins with mild formalities, the of signing a waiver which is needed as you are entering an operating distillery.

We then enter the distillery and are given a brief history of whisky and whisky in Australia. We then get onto the grain, an important part of making whisky and one of the many factors that influence flavour. Archie Rose prides itself on quality ingredients and especially grain, we taste a few different grains and have some flavour profiles explained.

From here we move onto the equipment and the whisky making process where the story of Archie Rose is explained. It was kicked of by Will Edward’s in 2015, a 20 year old working in the corporate world, but wanting more, he left the corporate world to follow his dream and passion for whisky. From there, it is a story of trial and error and ultimate success, with the company investing in a 3000sqm operation in the nearby suburb of Banksmeadow. The brand looked to capitalise on its many international accolades to build a global household presence for Australian based spirits.

We are all full of information, then we are provided with a sample of their new make spirit, essentially grain based alcohol, that has spent under 2 years in a barrel. In Australia for this type of spirit to be called whisky it must spend 2 years aging in a wooden barrel.

From here we move to the upstairs section of the Archie Rose bar, where the area is pre set with lazy Susan’s topped with 8 glencairns, which are whisky glasses, made especially for whisky and its appreciation. A glass for drinking whisky neat is straight up, with no ice or mixers. 7 of those glencairns contained a range of notable whiskies, all with different flavour profiles. Also on the table were 2 beakers, a dropper and 2 200ml bottles of Archie Rose whisky, as a base to blend with. We are also provided with a refreshing cocktail/palate cleanser made from Archie Rose new make and apple juice.

From here the fun begins, have a smell and a taste of the 7 different whiskies that will be used to blend with the Archie Rose whisky base. Create your own whisky blend by adding different whiskies to taste. At the end you will have 2 200ml bottles of your own blended whisky to take home as a short or long term memento, depending on how well your blends turned out.

A great time was had by all and our guide Jonathan was excellent, plenty of knowledge and a great ambassador for Archie Rose. This experience is perfect for individuals, groups and even as a corporate event. Highly recommended, be sure to book well in advance, these sessions are very popular.

Archie Rose

85 Dunning Avenue

Rosebery NSW

Hours

12-11:30pm daily (10pm Sunday and Monday)