Backwoods Distilling Co

About the distillery

Backwoods Distilling Co is located in Yackandandah in Victoria’s High Country and makes Australian whisky and gin in small batches. Here, local grain, native botanicals, and characterful casks carry the style, and the distillery has made rye and single malt in particular its hallmark. Visitors can drop by the distillery door and sample in the shadow of the copper stills, where the spirit comes to life.

History

Backwoods was founded in 2017 by Bree and Leigh with a clear ambition to create spirits that reflect the landscapes they love: Victoria’s High Country, rural surroundings, and life out in the wild. They started in a modest shed on their property and, in the first years, worked alongside ordinary jobs, while whisky quietly aged in the bond stores. Since then, the range has grown, and the distillery itself states that their spirits are now available both across Australia and further afield. Despite the growth, they’ve stuck with the original approach: local ingredients, native botanicals, and casks selected to give the whisky a distinctively Australian character. Along the way, the work has also brought a number of awards and recognitions, including the title of Champion Victorian Distiller and several major individual whisky awards.

Ingredients and production

Backwoods works with 100% Australian-grown ingredients and uses especially rye, wheat, and barley in the whisky. Their rye whiskies are built on heritage rye from Riverina, and several of the single malt releases are made with Australian malted barley, including Atlas, Veloria, and Voodoo malts. This homegrown and regional anchoring shows up in everything from ingredient selection to gin, where native ingredients such as old man saltbush, native lime, and other local botanicals are also used. The distillery describes its production as small-batch and handmade by a small team in Yackandandah, and the copper stills are a visible part of the visitor experience. Maturation happens in a range of distinctive cask types, and that part is central to the house style: shiraz casks, white oak casks previously used for Australian corn whisky, chardonnay casks, maple syrup casks, and other cask varieties that give the whisky quite different expressions without losing the Australian framework.

Maturation and cask types

Maturation is one of Backwoods’ most distinctive features. Rye and single malt gain character in, among other things, Shiraz barrels, White Oak barrels, Chardonnay barrels, and Maple Syrup casks, and the company also mentions reclaimed fortified wine casks and Red Gum timber casks. It’s not just a technical detail, but a way to build flavor and identity: shiraz adds fruit and depth, white oak and former corn whisky provide sweeter and softer layers, while chardonnay and maple syrup casks are used in more limited releases with a pronounced profile. Several bottlings are included in the Special Reserve or Small Batch series, where the casks and aging are the very idea behind the releases.

Whiskies

The core range is dominated by rye and single malt. Rye Whisky in Shiraz Barrels is the most popular rye and stands as a constant in the range, while Rye Whisky in White Oak Barrels is the newer core-range version. On the single malt side, both White Oak Barrels and Shiraz Barrels are part of the fixed line. In addition, there are special releases such as Chardonnay Cask Single Malt and Rye Whisky in Maple Syrup Cask, made in smaller runs and clearly signaling the distillery’s desire to work with particular cask styles. The range is complemented by a Coffee Whisky Cream Liqueur and tasting packs, but the whisky is clearly the centerpiece.

Whisky	Type / series	Alcohol	Age	Cask and style	Flavor profile	Status
Rye Whisky, Shiraz Barrels	Rye whisky			French Oak and American Oak	The distillery’s most popular rye and part of the core range. Aged in ex-Australian Shiraz barrels and built on 100% Australian-grown heritage rye.; Nose: Ginger and rye breads, barley sugar, and vanilla.; Taste: Grounded rye bread, caramel, ginger, allspice, and a deep, rich fruit cake.; Finish: Long and smooth with spices and creamy chocolate.	Current; Core range; Online and in the range as part of the core range
Rye Whisky, White Oak Barrels	Rye whisky			American Oak	A newer part of the 700 ml core range, aged in American white oak casks previously filled with Australian corn whisky.; Nose: Herbal, grassy, rye bread, peppercorn, green apples, and a hint of earth.; Taste: Delicate and earthy with lemon curd, cinnamon, ginger, and charred oak.; Finish: Smooth with biscuit, vanilla, and fudge.	Current; Core range; Online and in the range as part of the core range
Single Malt Whisky, White Oak Barrels	Single malt whisky			American Oak	A light, floral, easy-drinking single malt expression, now part of the core range.; Nose: Bright and floral with malted barley and vanilla.; Taste: Honey, vanilla, toffee, toasted coconut, apple, apricot, and subtle baking spice.; Finish: Buttery and honey-sweet with toffee, vanilla, and a lingering sweetness with a hint of spice.	Current; Core range; Online and in the range as part of the core range
Single Malt Whisky, Shiraz Barrels	Single malt whisky			French & American Oak	A fruity-forward single malt expression in the core range, aged in ex-Australian Shiraz barrels.; Nose: Light, floral, and fruity with ripe stone fruit, soft vanilla, and honeysuckle blossom.; Taste: Smooth & creamy with barley, cereal grains, ripe peach, sugared plum, vanilla, honeysuckle, and jasmine.; Finish: Long and complex with light oak, dark chocolate, toasted sesame, and a soft, lingering fullness.	Current; Core range; Online and in the range as part of the core range
Single Malt Whisky, Chardonnay Cask	Single malt whisky; Small Batch, Special Reserve Series	48 %	5 years	Chardonnay barrels	A limited release in the Special Reserve series, aged for five years in ex-Chardonnay barrels from the Adelaide Hills.; Nose: Fresh orchard fruit, citrus, and soft malt.; Taste: Orange oil, mango, pineapple, florals, creamy vanilla, and soft mint.; Finish: Clean, elegant with toasted oak, white chocolate, and a light dryness.	Limited; Limited release; 300 bottles
Rye Whisky, Maple Syrup Cask	Rye whisky; Special Reserve Series			Maple Syrup cask	An ultra-limited Special Reserve batch aged for four years in maple syrup casks.; Finish: Long and smooth with lingering maple sweetness and toasted nuts.	Limited; Limited release; 260 bottles
Coffee Whisky Cream Liqueur	Whisky cream liqueur	18 %			Cream liqueur made with the distillery’s Single Malt Whisky and locally micro-roasted coffee beans from Coffee Chakra in Myrtleford.; Flavor: Deep coffee notes, creaminess, and a warming whisky finish.; Finish: Warming whisky finish.	Current; Online
Whisky Trio Pack	Tasting pack				Tasting pack with Single Malt Whisky – White Oak, Rye Whisky – Shiraz Barrels, and Honey Spirit – Bourbon Barrels in 200 ml bottles.	Current; Limited

Whisky style and flavor profile

The style ranges from light and floral single malt to spicy and fruit-driven rye. In the lighter single malts, you’ll find vanilla, honey, toffee, coconut, apricot, and a mild floral character, while the Shiraz expressions add stone fruit, plum, dark chocolate, toasted sesame, and ripe fruit. The rye whiskies have more backbone with rye bread, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, and peppercorn, but they also get sweet layers of caramel, fudge, maple syrup, and toasted nuts. Taken together, it results in a character that’s both spicy and fruity, rounded off softly by oak and sweetness.

Visit the distillery

The distillery door in Yackandandah is open to guests. Here, you can get a tasting paddle or a drink and sit next to the copper stills that help shape the spirit. The experience is designed as a place where you can slow down and spend time with friends and family. The information provided does not mention fixed opening hours or booking requirements, but the visit is clearly part of the Backwoods experience.

Philosophy and craftsmanship

Backwoods works from a clear local and Australian starting point. They use 100% Australian-grown grains, native botanicals, and casks meant to tell an Australian story. The core idea is that each bottle should reflect the place it comes from, and they place emphasis on quality, connection, and craft. It’s a distillery where ingredient selection, small-batch sizes, and cask work are all part of the same idea.

Awards and recognition

Champion Victorian Distiller (Won)
Best Single Malt Whisky (Trophy won twice)
Rye Category Award (Won twice, Rye whisky)
Gold Medal (Won, High Country Gin)
Australia’s Best Citrus Gin (Winner, Salted Lime Gin)

Backwoods Distilling Co.