Move aside wine…there’s another W with great flavour in the Hunter!

Trying to find a place to get a decent sip of whiskey in the Hunter Valley? The Hunter Valley promises some great places to get a glass of wine, of course. But what about whiskey?

The spirit of the Hunter

Whiskey has become more popular in recent years, and whiskey and wine tend to go hand in hand. So why not break up your Hunter Valley wine tour with a distillery visit? Several distilleries in the Hunter Valley brew up a lovely glass of whiskey, all varying in flavour and production.

Before we deep dive into the world of whiskey in the Hunter Valley, let’s take a sip from the glass of whiskey knowledge and learn some of the whiskey terms, so that it all makes sense (even after you’ve had a couple of glasses).

• Whiskey flight: A selection of whiskies poured into small glasses that enable you to taste them
• Fortified: How the whiskey is strengthened
• Single malt: Produced from 100% malted barley at a single distillery
• Small batch: Less quantity of whiskey, meaning it’s been passed through smaller barrels, and therefore the focus on quality and taste is (generally) higher
  

Looking to break up your wine tour with a taste of whiskey? Here are the different distilleries we think you should head to.

Hunter Valley Whiskey Distilleries

• Tower Whiskey Distillery
• Hunter Distillery
• Pokolbin Distillery

Tower Whiskey Distillery

Tower Whiskey Distillery is a great spot to grab a Whiskey Flight. Enjoy the taste of either single malt or their small batch. A relatively new distillery, Tower Whiskey Distillery opened in 2021.

Visit for a sip of single malt from their on their whiskey flight, and you’ll be greeted with an array of amazing flavours from their variety of barrel-aged whiskeys in a variety of different oak casks.

Hunter Distillery

The Hunter Distillery is all about the top-shelf experience. Using locally sourced botanicals straight from the Hunter to create some super tasty liquors and spirits.

The Hunter Distillery creates some amazing and organic vodka and gin. The Hunter Distillery expanded its whiskey production and offers interactive tasting experiences, which allow visitors to compare their styles by the side.

Pokolbin Distillery

The Pokolbin Distillery produces a range of premium spirits. As a locally owned, family-run business, there is a high focus on quality and production.

This boutique distillery offers heaps of flavour in its different varieties of whiskey. Distributed around Newcastle and the Hunter Valley, the Pokolbin Distillery opened in the Hunter Valley in 2019.

The distillery is run by a Polish and Australian heritage family. Expect an enthusiastic tasting by knowledgeable staff, the Pokolbin Distillery puts on a show!