Bakery Hill

In 1999, former chemistry teacher David Baker was tired of hearing that good whisky could only be made in Scotland – because of the "special air and water". To prove the opposite, he founded the Bakery Hill distillery in his hometown of Melbourne, which is still considered the oldest whisky distillery on the Australian mainland today.

In 2003, the first three bottlings – Classic, Peated, and Double Wood – came to market, years before most other Australian craft distilleries were even founded. Today, Baker's son Andrew runs the distillery. With Bakery Hill Double Wood, you will find one of this Australian whisky pioneer brand's defining bottlings in our selection.

How did a chemistry teacher become a whisky pioneer?

David Baker, a trained chemistry teacher, was tired of hearing that excellent whisky could supposedly only be made thanks to Scotland's "special air and water". In 1999, he founded the Bakery Hill distillery in his hometown of Melbourne to prove otherwise – using traditional Scottish distilling methods but Australian terroir. This makes Bakery Hill the oldest still-active whisky distillery on the Australian mainland to this day.

How does Bakery Hill differ from other Australian distilleries?

In 2003, the first three bottlings of the brand appeared – Classic, Peated, and Double Wood – well before the great boom of the Australian craft whisky scene had even begun. Bakery Hill has since won numerous awards, including "Southern Hemisphere Whisky of the Year" 2020 and "Best Small Distillery Whisky of the Year" 2005. Today, Andrew Baker, David's son, carries on the family business.

The most popular bottling at a glance

1. Bakery Hill Double Wood
Matured in two different cask types.
Taste: Complex, with caramel, ripe fruit, and spicy oak depth.
Serving suggestion: An exciting introduction to the Australian whisky style.

Facts and figures

Founded: 1999 by David Baker, Melbourne, Australia. First bottlings: 2003. Notable: the oldest still-active whisky distillery on the Australian mainland. Current leadership: Andrew Baker.