Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier began its life after a career defining trip to the Côte-Rôtie in the mid 90s which set Tim Kirk on the journey towards producing one of Australia's best Shiraz. Determined to show that Australia could produce elegant but still powerful Shiraz, Tim's work has paid off with his flagship being acclaimed worldwide. In only 15 years, the Shiraz Viognier has attained 'Exceptional' status with Langton's, the highest possible.

Clonakilla is an Australian winery located in the Canberra wine region of Murrumbateman, New South Wales. The winery was founded by Dr. John Kirk AM, an Irish biochemist who immigrated to Australia from the United Kingdom in 1968 to work as a research scientist at the CSIRO. The first vintage from the region was produced in 1976, and Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier has since become one of the most iconic Australian wines. The Shiraz Viognier blend was first introduced by Clonakilla in 1992, inspired by Tim Kirk's visit to the Rhône Valley in France. The wine is a blend of Shiraz and Viognier grapes, with the Viognier adding a floral and aromatic complexity to the wine. Clonakilla's Shiraz Viognier has received numerous accolades, including being named Wine of the Year by James Halliday in 2010 and receiving a perfect score from Robert Parker in 2015. In addition to Shiraz Viognier, Clonakilla produces other red and white wines, including Riesling, Viognier and Cabernet Sauvignon. The winery is known for its commitment to sustainable and organic farming practices and has received numerous awards for its environmental stewardship. Clonakilla is a winery with a rich history and a reputation for producing some of the best wines in Australia. This Chardonnay is sourced from two of the Johansen family’s vineyards in Tumbarumba, sitting between 700 and 720 metres above sea level. From the cool 2022 vintage, a fine-boned, citrus-edged Chardonnay with subtle floral and almond meal notes. Elegant and bright with the classic Tumbarumba mineral acid backbone.

Tim Kirk has quickly become Australia's Shiraz-Superstar. With cool-climate vineyards that are managed pefectly and with expert guidance, Clonakilla is a must have for all serious wine lovers. Tim's Hilltops Shiraz has luscious dark Shiraz fruit, with blackberry, roasted meat and gentle spice in the background. The tannins are ripe, the fruit juicy, the finish long and savoury. Superb.

Sourced from vineyards surrounding Canberra, the Clonakilla O'Riada Shiraz has been lovingly embraced as little brother to the iconic Shiraz Viognier. Also co-fermented with a touch of Viognier, the O'Riada shows a more fruit forward presence, yet still with that unmistakable Tim Kirk elegance and purity that is a theme throughout all of his wines.

Even though this is a NAS release, you can expect Glengyle's whisky-making team are refining their blending skills and introducing older material into each batch. So it makes sense that some tasters are describing this as one of the best, if not the best batch in the series to date. Drawn from 90% Bourbon casks with the remainder out of Sherry, complexity will be a strong point. The Kilkerran style we've come to know and love includes notes of key lime pie, toasted rye bread and peat smoke, toasted marshmallows and campfire embers with hints of vanilla and custard - and of course, that Campbeltown smokiness carrying through to the finish, along with a mineral note to round things off. Even after dilution, these natural strength expressions can remain beautifully fresh. If you're partial to the uber-peaty, invigorating coastal blast that comes with Longrow at its finest, this will be for you. In line with previous releases, Batch 11 weighs in at 57.9% Alc./Vol and comes bottled non-chill filtered.

The culmination of six "Work In Progress" releases is this core bottling from the Glengyle Distillery: a lightly peated and non-chill filtered 12 year old malt matured in a combination of 70% Bourbon casks and 30% Sherry casks. If the intention has been to create an accessible all-rounder that appeals to a wide audience, then this certainly succeeds. Offering a beautiful integration of aromas and flavours ranging from rich cereals, light sea spray freshness, a touch of lanolin and even a farmyard earthiness in the thread of peat stitching the whole together, it straddles the breadth of flavours we’ve enjoyed in the “Work in Progress” series, only delivered in a softer package. Because Kilkerran run just one bottling per annum, allocations will be ongoing - even though this is now part of the core range. 46% Alc./Vol. * All Kilkerran whiskies now arrive without presentation tubes or boxes.

Mitchell's Glengyle Ltd. are very proud to be continuing and adding to the great Campbelltown Distilling tradition and the choice of the name reflects that. Kilkerran is derived from the Gaelic 'Ceann Loch Cille Chiarain' which is the name of the original settlement where Saint Kieran had his relgious cell and Campbeltown now stands. Kilkerran is thought to be suitable name for a new Campbeltown Malt since it was unusual for the old Campbeltown distillers to be called after a Glen, a custom more usually associated with the Speyside region. This is a new release cask strength whisky from Glengyle distillery fully matured in ex-bourbon. Bottled at 55.8%. A floral element, reminiscent of elderflower and heather, introduces this dram. There are notes of vanilla and custard creams and a confectionary note to foam bananas. Notes of cocoa nibs and Iberico ham are introduced on the palate, paired with an earthy peat smoke influence. The development of a tropical note comes through in hints of pineapple and coconut. The peat smoke lingers in the finish along with a digestive biscuit note. Note - item does not come with external tube. In the distillery's words: “It is our intention to reduce the amount of packaging we use across our group of companies, from Springbank and Kilkerran to William Cadenhead Ltd, and that any we do use is produced and procured as sustainably as possible."

Mitchell's Glengyle Ltd. are very proud to be continuing and adding to the great Campbelltown Distilling tradition and the choice of the name reflects that. Kilkerran is derived from the Gaelic 'Ceann Loch Cille Chiarain' which is the name of the original settlement where Saint Kieran had his relgious cell and Campbeltown now stands. Kilkerran is thought to be suitable name for a new Campbeltown Malt since it was unusual for the old Campbeltown distillers to be called after a Glen, a custom more usually associated with the Speyside region. The seventh batch of Kilkerran's Heavily Peated was released in 2023. It has been matured in a combination of ex-Bourbon and ex-Sherry casks. This Heavily Peated Batch 8 single malt opens up to a nose that is slightly mineral, with peat smoke apparent from the outset and a malty cereal note. The palate is full of orchard fruits, apple blossoms and poached pear notes emerge, and the peat smoke becomes more prominent on the palate in notes of campfire embers. A long, sweet finish concludes this heavily peated dram. Note - item does not come with external tube. In the distillery's words: “It is our intention to reduce the amount of packaging we use across our group of companies, from Springbank and Kilkerran to William Cadenhead Ltd, and that any we do use is produced and procured as sustainably as possible."