Cape Byron Tawny Cask

Picture this: you’re walking through the middle of a rainforest in Byron, peacefully admiring the smell of petrichor and the alien calls of the lyrebird.

Suddenly, there’s a building ahead of you, but it’s not a house. It looks industrial, but somehow belongs.

You step closer. You realise it’s a distillery. But this is no ordinary distillery. There’s a five metre tall waterfall in the barrel room, for starters. It's a distillery embodies sustainability and innovation.

Cape Byron Distillery, nestled on a 95-acre family farm, blends tradition with new-world techniques to craft exceptional spirits that capture the essence of the Northern Rivers region.

In 1988, Pam and Martin Brook purchased a rundown dairy farm, and in the years since then, not only have they  planted over 40,000 subtropical rainforest trees, transforming the landscape into a sanctuary for birds and wildlife, but they've established a thriving macadamia farm.

Their son Eddie grew up on the farm, but it was the drinks business that called his name. It was through his industry connections with Islay's Bruichladdich Distillery hat Eddie formed a strong relationship with whisky legend Jim McEwan, and the two soon began talk of establishing a gin distillery on the farm.

With Eddie and Jim in partnership, the distillery was firing by 2017, with their first gin made using many botanicals from the farm and other local suppliers.

But of course, the call of whisky production was strong, and the duo distilled their first malt spirit in 2019, using wash from the legends at Stone & Wood brewery. The brewery continue to do their mashing and provide the wort, however the distillery has installed two 8,000 litre fermenters to allow them to brew on-site, using mineral-rich Mount Warning spring water.

The result is a new make spirit bursting with tropical aromas and fruity notes, like pineapple, lychees and citrus, and balanced with sweet cereal notes, pear and apple, with a crisp clean lingering finish and slightly oily mouth feel and texture. The spirit's then aged in a range of casks, predominantly 200L American oak ex-Bourbon barrels and Australian wine and fortified casks.

With the distillery surrounded by the lush subtropical rainforests that stretch from the Hinterland to the most easterly point of mainland Australia, the casks are matured in a unique location that combines sea spray air, earthy fragrance and floral notes, and an incomparable freshness from the rainforest.

For Cape Byron Distillery, sustainability is paramount. Rainwater is harvested for distillation and farm use, and organic waste is composted on-site. The distillery's innovative Biogill technology treats whisky waste, turning it into liquid fertiliser for the farm, closing the loop on waste management. Cape Byron was also the first Australian whisky distillery to become a B-Corp Certified whisky producer, meaning they've attained one of the most demanding certifications, with a criteria of over 350 benchmarks concerning operations, employee treatment, community and environmental impact.

With a commitment to excellence, sustainability, and community, Cape Byron Distillery is not just crafting whisky (and gin); it's writing a new chapter in the story of Australian distilleries, with every sip taking you on a journey from the sea to the depths of the rainforest.