Uniquely Australian, Smith’s Angaston single malt whisky is crafted in the heart of Australia’s great wine region of the Barossa Valley at the Yalumba Distillery.
Starting out as a brewer before deviating to wine, Yalumba’s founder, Samuel Smith – not being one to shy away from a challenge – took on the spirit trade in the late 19th century, with the establishment of the Smith’s distillery at Yalumba. For a brief period of time, from the early 1950’s to early 70’s, Samuel Smith & Son sold a product called ‘Smith’s Imperial Vat Whisky’. The large copper pot-still was installed at Yalumba in 1908 and expanded in 1932, when a chimney was added to meet production demand. But it wasn’t until the late 90s – incidentally when Managing Director, Robert Hill-Smith, took a sabbatical – that John Wall (production manager and whisky enthusiast) recommissioned the still.
The experiment was met with such enthusiasm by Robert on his return, that three batches of Smith’s Angaston Whisky were distilled between 1997 and 2000. We currently have the rare 15yo 2000 vintage as part of our whisky portfolio.
Ten years passed before Yalumba eventually gave in to its customers pleas for another taste of Smith’s Angaston Whisky and the old pot-still was recommissioned and fired up again in the winter of 2011.