Dean Druce just loves drinking whisky, and uses his love for the spirit to produce award winning drams right here in Corowa.
Dean Druce always had the vision he would make whisky but never thought he’d be producing it to go to Buckingham Palace in celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s platinum Jubilee.
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As Corowa Whisky Co. celebrates 10 years producing whisky, Dean said they didn't envisage any of the milestones they've had in the past 10 years,
“It's been a very exciting journey,” Dean said.
“This is a unique venue in what we do, there's not a lot around like it.
“And our staff go above and beyond which helps to amplify the product.”
Dean said it’s the combination of location, climate and building that makes their venue so unique, all combining to produce distinct flavours and an atmosphere that separates them from other distilleries.
“What the Scottish distilleries do is create a really consistent product which takes longer to age,” Dean said.
“In Scotland, it’s cold or really, really freaking cold and the barrel doesn't change at all, it just sits neutral.
“What we have in Corowa is a climate conducive to fast maturation that also creates big, impactful flavours a lot quicker.
“A barrel is like a lung; it breathes in and out via temperature change.
“The temperature fluctuations here speed up that expansion and reduction in the barrels, so one year in Australia is worth five years in Scotland.”
Corowa Whisky’s ‘The Corowa Characters’ was named best Australian whisky at the inaugural Decoded Spirits Awards in 2022.
Corowa Whisky has come a long way in a short time.
Their first whisky, ‘First Drop’, a single malt hand-crafted whisky using locally grown ingredients and matured in American oak port barrels, was hand-bottled and released in 2018 by acting Prime Minister Scott Morrison and limited to just 320 bottles.
In 2022 their Platinum Jubilee Edition port cask whisky was made in commemoration of the Queen’s 70th anniversary of accession and went all the way to Buckingham Palace.
Since 2023, they’ve hosted their annual Whisky on the Murray event, held each winter, celebrating everything whisky.
The fourth Whiskey on the Murray event will be held on June 19 at Corowa Whisky
And they’re racking up accolades at a rate of knots; winning best unique wedding venue two years in a row, named best Australian whisky, and receiving a silver medal at the World Whiskies Awards, just to name a few.
Dean said it’s wanting to be creative and push the boundaries of what people have tried previously that drives the evolution of Corowa Whisky.
“We certainly challenge that, and have done since day dot,” he said.
“We try to utilise what's available to us in our local region as much as possible, especially being on the doorstep of some of the best fortifieds in the world.
“We'll continue to push those boundaries well into the future.”
“We’ve gone from buying a mill for $1. Dan Murphy’s Whisky of the Year. Becoming one of the third largest whisky producers in Australia. Having our whisky reach Buckingham Palace. And we’re only just getting started...“ Dean Druce.
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