The Great Southern Distilling Company was founded by Cameron Syme in 2004 with commercial production commencing in 2005. The distilleries whisky is marketed as ‘Limeburners’ named after an area nearby the distillery where lime burning took place in convict times. Located at 252 Frenchman Bay Rd, Albany, Western Australia, on the edge of Princess Royal Harbour, the distillery takes advantage of Albany’s, clean air, pristine water, and abundance of local produce and cool marine climate. Their barley is procured from the farming rich south west of the state and their selection of barrels include some very old casks dating as far back as the 1940’s bourbon houses. Their water comes from limestone aquifers deep beneath the distillery and filtered rain water, blown over from the melting ice caps of Antarctic. (It doesn’t get fresher than that). The first flagship ‘Limeburners’ Single Malt Whisky was released in May 2008. Not only was it the first Single Malt Whisky ever distilled in Western Australia, but it also a multi award winner both in Australia and internationally.

In November 2015, founder Cameron Syme decided to expand his distilling vision and opened the doors on his second distillery in the wine and tourist-rich Margaret River aptly named Margaret River Distilling Company that operates a Tasmanian made copper still, with a goal to become another pioneer in the distilling industry just like Limeburners and the Great Southern Distilling Company.

If life wasn’t busy enough for the folks at Limeburners, they opened yet another dedicated distillery situated 30 minutes north-east of Albany, at the Porongurups (the world’s oldest mountain range) and its home to their Tiger Snake Australian Whiskey and new ‘Dugite whiskey’ label. The distillery’s ‘American Style’ Tiger Snake Australian Whiskey (note the “e”) is a batch-released sour mash distilled from corn, barley and rye. It was also the first (legal) whiskey of its type in Australia and was name Best Australian Blended Whiskey at the World Whiskies Awards in 2016.