Chief's Son Distillery

About the distillery

Chief’s Son Distillery is located on the Mornington Peninsula in Somerville and produces Australian single malt whisky in small batches. It is a family-owned house where handwork, selected casks, and a manual approach are part of its identity. The range spans from the classic 900 series to more experimental cask releases and a whisky-based coffee liqueur, so the place embraces both tradition and curiosity.

History

Chief’s Son Distillery was established in 2013 by Stuart and Naomi McIntosh. After three years of test-batch success, the first commercial batch of single malt whisky was distilled at the current address in Somerville. The story is closely interwoven with the McIntosh family, connecting whisky with generations, loyalty, and craftsmanship. The name Chief’s Son comes from the Scottish Gaelic meaning of McIntosh, Mhic an Tòisich, which means ‘Son of the Chief’. The narrative also points back to Alasdair McIntosh, whose words about passing on the joy of whisky from parents to children became an important starting point for the project. At the same time, the Mornington Peninsula plays a clear role as home to a local craft scene, where distilleries, breweries, cideries, and other producers share inspiration and resources.

Raw materials and production

The distillery works with malted barley and describes its production as family-owned, small-scale, and completely manual. Artisan ingredients and hand selected barrels are used, and 900 Pure Malt stands out by being distilled with fresh whisky wash and without fores-and-feints. The same bottling is distilled only twice a year, emphasizing how targeted and rare it is to produce. N7 Single Malt Vodka is triple distilled and made on malted barley without added flavour. Production also includes private casks, where the customer can choose between different oak types, seasonings, and sizes, and where the cask is stored at the distillery throughout the entire maturation.

Maturation and cask types

Maturation takes place across a wide spectrum of casks. French oak, American oak, ex-Apera, sherry, port, and bourbon casks are used, as well as more experimental combinations such as rum and stout casks. 900 Pure Malt is matured in ex-fortified French oak barrels, while Forge is matured in second-fill French oak casks. Peated Malt gets both time in French Oak Sherry second fill and a subsequent year in American Oak Bourbon first fill, and Cask Expression – Belgian Blonde is built on multiple whiskies that are then blended together in an American oak cask that previously held Jamaican rum. Distiller’s Select 2025 shows a special double maturation from French red wine casks to imperial stout casks over more than six years.

Whiskies

The core of the range is the 900 series with multiple expressions: 900 Standard, 900 Pure Malt, 900 Sweet Peat, and 900 American Oak, as well as cask strength variants. In addition, Forge is a more accessible single malt, Peated Malt is the house’s peated expression, The Tanist, and a range of Distiller’s Select releases that are selected from the warehouse every year. The range is complemented by single cask expressions and private casks, so the lineup spans from regular bottles to very limited special bottlings.

Whisky	Type / series	Alcohol	Cask and style	Flavour profile	Status
900 Standard	Single Malt Whisky	45 %	French oak		Current; Core range; 700ml and 200ml
900 Pure Malt	Single Malt Whisky	45 %	French oak	Uniquely distilled with fresh whisky wash and without fores-and-feints; all matured in ex-fortified French oak barrels.; Nose: Baked stone fruits, scorched sugar almonds, caramelised pears; Taste: Concentrated malt, smooth alcohol, balanced sweetness with toffee; Finish: Medium, creamy malt, slightly sherry and smooth oak	Current; Core range; 200ml and 700ml
900 Sweet Peat	Single Malt Whisky	45 %	French oak; peated/peaty		Current; Core range; 200ml and 700ml
900 American Oak	Single Malt Whisky	46 %	American oak		Current; Core range; 200ml and 700ml
Forge	Single Malt Whisky	43 %	French oak second fill	A refined evolution of the signature 900 Standard recipe.; Nose: Sweet malts, banana toffee, hay and dried tobacco; Taste: Soft texture of sweet creamy malts, candied fruits, buttery chardonnay, soft oak and floral peat; Finish: A medium weight of vanilla, bananas and lingering sweetness	Current
900 Standard Single Cask	Single Malt Whisky	45 %	French oak	Single cask #339, sold out; Silver award in the 2024 World Whisky Awards.; Nose: Sweet peaches, citrus, maple and orange chocolate	Discontinued; Sold out
900 Standard Port Cask	Single Malt Whisky		French oak	Sold out expression from the award winners selection.	Discontinued; Sold out
Peated Malt	Single Malt Whisky	42 %	French oak sherry second fill; finish: Then one year in American oak Bourbon first fill; peated/peaty	Flagship peated whisky with floral peat and a sherry-and-bourbon maturation sequence.; Nose: Smoke dried oranges, rich tobacco, dark wood shavings, dried apricots, smoked vanilla and old leather; Taste: Rich, deep tobacco and leather, massive dried fruits, sweet orange marmalade, floral peat and oak; Finish: Very long and peaty, creamy finish with rich smoked vanilla and soft floral spices	Current; Core range
The Tanist	Single Malt Whisky	43 %	French + American oak		Current; Core range; 200ml and 700ml
900 Standard	Single Malt Whisky	60 %	French oak	Cask strength version of 900 Standard.	Current; Core range; 200ml and 700ml
900 Sweet Peat	Single Malt Whisky	60 %	French oak; peated/peaty		Current; Core range; 200ml and 700ml
900 Pure Malt	Single Malt Whisky	60 %	French oak		Current; Core range; 200ml and 700ml
Distiller’s Select 2023	Single Malt Whisky	46 %	Ex Pedro Ximénez cask	Annual limited release, sold out.; Nose: Dark malts, sweet candied praline, dark chocolate mandarin, caramelised smoky sherry, cigar box	Discontinued; Sold out
Distiller’s Select 2024	Single Malt Whisky	46 %	French oak, Muscat casks	Annual limited release bottled from the Distiller’s Select series.; Nose: Buttered toast, jasmine, tropical mango, banana, vanilla, almonds, toasted coconut; Taste: Buttered toast, jasmine, tropical mango, banana, vanilla, almonds, toasted coconut; Finish: Long, clean and fruity, with soft nectarines and citrus flowers	Current
Distiller’s Select 2025	Single Malt Whisky	45.94 %	French oak ex Red Wine casks and Dainton Brewery Dark Lord Imperial Stout casks	Annual limited release double matured through French oak ex red wine casks and imperial stout casks.; Nose: Creamy toffee, jersey caramel, brown sugar, passionfruit and guava, cocoa and coffee, Guinness, heather flowers, dried tea; Taste: Sandalwood, fire roasted raisin toast, dark malt and mandarins, sweet liqueur and old timber; Finish: Sticky and smooth, deep oak, long tobacco and caramelised stout	Current
Cask Expression – Belgian Blonde	Single Malt Whisky	46 %	French oak ex Apera, French oak ex Tawny / Port and American oak ex Jamaican Rum barrel; finish: Secondary maturation	A complex cask expression combining Apera, Tawny/Port and Jamaican rum influences.	Current; Very limited distribution
Peated Malt Cask Strength	Single Malt Whisky	61.29 %	First fill French Oak ex Apera barrel; peated/peaty	Award-winning cask strength peated whisky from Barrel 702.; Nose: Soft, buttery	Current
Black Forge	Whisky coffee liqueur	40 %		Whisky-based coffee liqueur made with whole coffee beans, vanilla pods and molasses.; Nose: Warm roasted coffee, organic Mexican beans, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, soft malt and oak; Taste: Rich roasted coffee, dark vanilla, gentle treacle sweetness, medium-dark roast, whisky warmth, soft dried fruit; Finish: Long, dark and deeply satisfying, with coffee and vanilla rounded by whisky warmth and brown sugar sweetness	Current

Whisky style and flavour profile

The style ranges from light, malty, and fruity nuances to darker, more wine-like expressions. In the documented bottles, notes such as baked stone fruits, caramelised pears, sweet peaches, citrus, tropical mango, banana, and toasted coconut appear on the fruity side. The malty sweetness shows up in toffee, caramel, creamy malt, and jersey caramel, while the peated expressions add floral peat, smoked vanilla, tobacco, leather, and old wood. In addition, vanilla, coffee, and dark stout sweetness appear in the most experimental bottlings.

Visit the distillery

The tasting room is open for guided whisky tastings and sales, and visitors can come during the shop’s opening hours Monday to Friday from 10am–4pm and Saturday 11am–4pm. Sunday is closed. Bookings for tastings are preferred, but not necessary, so guests can both plan ahead and drop by spontaneously during opening hours.

The stated opening hours are Mon–Fri: 10am to 4pm; Sat: 11am to 4pm; Sun: Closed.
See times and book a visit.

Philosophy and craftsmanship

Chief’s Son is built on family ownership, small batches, and a manual approach, where artisan ingredients and hand selected barrels are key choices. The distillery places emphasis on loyalty, the connection between generations, and a whisky tradition carried on in the family. At the same time, there is a clear willingness to experiment with casks and maturation processes when it can bring more character and depth to the whisky.

Prices and awards

Gold Medal (Gold, Forge)
Silver award (2024, Silver, 900 Standard Single Cask #339)
Award winner (Black Forge)

Latest news

Distiller’s Select 2025 is released as this year’s limited release – 2025

The 2025 edition of Distiller’s Select is double matured first in French red wine casks and then in imperial stout casks from Dainton Brewery. The series is described as an annual, highly limited bottling selected from the distillery’s own warehouse.