Archie Rose Australian Original Whisky 750ml

Celebrity spirits are everywhere now, and the first question is always the same: who actually made it? With Archie Rose, the answer is easy. The distillery made it. Archie Rose Distilling Co. opened in Sydney in 2014, the city’s first new distillery since 1853, and every drop of this whisky is fermented, distilled, matured, and blended on site by its own team, from Australian-grown grain. It’s not sourced from another distillery, bought in bulk, or relabeled. The distillery has spent twelve years refining its whiskies and holds more than 50,000 casks under bond, and its founder, Will Edwards, describes the goal as “making exceptional whisky in Australia, from Australian-grown ingredients, with a genuine sense of place.”

Chris Hemsworth is the famous name attached to the US launch. He joined Edwards as co-owner in August 2026, appears in the campaign with his brother Luke, and helped redesign the bottle, a flask-shaped bottle with textured glass inspired by the land where the grains are grown. Here the celebrity connection is a neutral factor: it’s what gets people to look, and the distillery’s track record is what earns the second glass.

Australian Original Whisky is the newest and most accessible expression in the Archie Rose range, and the one launched in the US on October 23 as an entry point. It’s an all-malt whisky that marries two of the distillery’s core whiskies, the Straight Rye Malt (its first whisky, from 2019, made from Australian-grown rye malted to Archie Rose’s specifications in New South Wales) and the Single Malt (made with six different Australian barley malts), each fermented, distilled, and matured malt-by-malt before blending. It’s matured in European and American oak and bottled at 40% ABV.

It has earned critical attention. It won a Gold Medal in the Blended Malt category at the 2026 World Whiskies Awards, where the judges noted aromas of vanilla, banana, and floral Sauvignon Blanc, leading to a sweet, well-balanced palate with lingering fruit notes. The Whiskey Wash has also spoken well of the whisky. It’s a fruit-forward, easy-drinking, rye-and-barley blend with more floral and tropical character than most Scotch or bourbon, which makes it a good fit for adventurous whisky drinkers, for anyone curious about Australian whisky, and for cocktails. Enjoy it neat, over ice, or in a Highball, Old Fashioned, or Manhattan.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Archie Rose Australian Original Whisky is produced by Archie Rose Distilling Co. in Sydney, Australia, under master distiller Dave Withers, and made entirely in-house: fermented, distilled, matured, and blended on site, from Australian-grown grain (not sourced from another distillery). It is a marriage of the distillery’s Straight Rye Malt Whisky and Single Malt Whisky, each made malt-by-malt, matured in European and American oak. Bottled at 40% ABV / 80 proof, 750ml.

Critics Reviews

World Whiskies Awards 2026 — Gold Medal, Blended Malt category (per the competition’s results as supplied):
Judges noted aromas of vanilla, banana, and floral Sauvignon Blanc, leading to a sweet, well-balanced palate with lingering fruit notes.

The Whiskey Wash:
Praised the whisky (as supplied; review text not independently verified).

Archie Rose (distillery statement):
“This new chapter stays true to what has always defined Archie Rose: making exceptional whisky in Australia, from Australian-grown ingredients, with a genuine sense of place.” — Will Edwards, founder and co-owner

Tasting Profile

Based on the judges’ notes.

Nose
Vanilla and ripe banana, with floral, Sauvignon Blanc-like aromatics.

Palate
Sweet and well-balanced, with fruit and a soft vanilla richness.

Finish
Lingering fruit.

Quick Overview

Cocktail & Serving Suggestions

Neat or over ice — to taste the floral, fruity character.

Highball — with soda and a lemon twist.

Old Fashioned or Manhattan — the sweetness and fruit give it an easy, rounded base.

Food Pairings

• Tropical fruit and banana desserts
• Soft cheeses and mild cheddar
• Grilled chicken and pork
• Vanilla and honey desserts