Headlands Distilling Co.
About the distillery
Headlands Distilling Co. is located in Wollongong in New South Wales and works according to a clear grain to glass principle, where the grain is sourced directly from the farm, and the entire process takes place on site. The distillery was founded in 2015 as Wollongong’s first distillery, and has since developed a range spanning from vodka and gin to single malt whisky with distinct Australian ingredients and local character.
History
Headlands Distilling Co. began in 2015, when four friends joined forces around a shared goal: to create handcrafted spirits in Wollongong. The distillery therefore became the city’s first. At the beginning, they produced whisky spirits, because maturation would take time, and already in 2016 the spirit was put into casks. The following year came Seacliff Vodka as well as a range of gins and specialty products. In 2019, more new releases arrived, including Spirit of the Illawarra Plum, Boobialla gin, and Daalgaal, the latter being stored for more than six months with Illawarra Plums. In 2020 came the first single malt whisky, completed in casks that had been seasoned with Seppeltsfield Rare Rich Apera and Rare Muscat. Since then, the distillery has moved on with new single cask releases and experiments with Spanish sherry casks and Illawarra Plum.
Ingredients and production
The production is built around grain and water, which are brought into the distillery, after which everything from milling and mashing to fermentation, distillation, filtration, bottling, and labeling takes place in-house. In the descriptions of Seacliff Vodka, a cold fermentation—drawing inspiration from lager beer—is highlighted as a way to avoid impurities. For the whisky, there is talk of close collaboration with an Australian grower, Michael Sinclair, who tested several barley varieties until the distillery found one that delivered both complexity and an unusually smooth spirit. That approach is echoed across the entire range: the ingredients must be traceable to the paddock, and the distillery places emphasis on everything being made from scratch. The water comes from an aquifer in the Southern Highlands, and it is blended with locally grown barley in the production of Seacliff Vodka. Several products also use native Australian ingredients, including Illawarra Plum, Boobialla, and various local botanicals.
Maturation and cask types
Maturation is characterized by wine and sherry casks, as well as several experiments with Australian flavor carriers. The Apera whisky is finished in oak casks that were seasoned with 18-year-old Seppeltsfield Rare Rich Apera, while the Muscat edition is finished in French oak, seasoned with 15-year-old Seppeltsfield Rare Muscat. The new single cask whiskies start in ex-bourbon casks from Four Roses and then undergo three years of finishing in authentic sherry casks from Jerez: Pedro Ximenez, Oloroso, or Palo Cortado. Illawarra Plum Single Cask was first matured for four years in an American oak barrel and then for three years in a Spirit of the Illawarra Plum barrel. Tidal Lines uses French ex-wine casks, where gin and fruit are allowed to marry directly in the cask. Overall, this points to a distillery that actively uses casks to build sweetness, nutty notes, fruit, and spice into the whisky.
Whiskies
The whisky range is small, but clearly profiled. The core expressions are the two single malt versions with Apera and Muscat, as well as the newer series of single cask whiskies in a Spanish sherry profile. In addition, there are special collaborations such as the Resin Brewing edition and the now sold-out Illawarra Plum Single Cask, showing how far the distillery is willing to go in pursuit of distinct character. The series is consistently 46% for the whisky releases, and the style ranges from classic malt with the depth of wine casks to more experimental expressions with fruit and stout character. This results in a range that speaks both to the curious beginner and to the whisky enthusiast looking for pronounced cask character and an Australian identity.
| Whisky | Type / series | Alcohol | Age | Cask and style | Flavor profile | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headlands – Seacliff Vodka | Vodka | 40 % | Made from locally grown barley traceable to individual paddocks, mixed with spring water from the Southern Highlands, cold-fermented and processed entirely in house.; Finish: Smooth with a slight sweet aftertaste. | Aktuel; Kernesortiment; Available | ||
| Headlands – Boobialla Gin | Gin | 40 % | Crafted exclusively from hand foraged native Australian juniper berries, with native botanicals including scented emu bush, native tamarind, white kunzea, Atherton almond, quandong, Geraldton wax, native currant, lemon aspen and cinnamon myrtle.; Finish: Smooth, luxurious finish with floral tones. | Aktuel; Kernesortiment; Available | ||
| Headlands – Mt. & Sea Gin | Gin | 43 % | A more traditional style of gin with fresh European juniper, rare Australian rainforest limes, coastal wattleseed and true cinnamon.; Finish: Refreshing flavour built to stand up in cocktails eller G&T. | Aktuel; Kernesortiment; Available | ||
| Headlands – Tidal Lines – Illawarra Plum Infused Gin | Gin | 32 % | French oak ex-wine casks; finish: Infused with native Illawarra Plums | Classic gin infused with native Illawarra Plums in French oak ex-wine casks.; Finish: Can be sipped neat, with ice, or in cocktails. | Aktuel; Available | |
| Headlands – Liqueur of the Illawarra Plum | Liqueur | 20 % | Made from rare native Illawarra Plum hand foraged from the coastline, with in-house fermentation and distillation and barrel ageing on the plum skins.; Taste: Rich, velvety smooth; similar to Port or Sherry. | Aktuel; Kernesortiment; Available | ||
| Headlands – Spirit Fortified Coffee Liqueur | Liqueur | 20 % | Cold brew spirit fortified coffee liqueur crafted from Australian grape spirit, Ethiopian coffee beans from Yirga Cheffe, locally roasted cacao nibs from the Solomon Islands, and aged grape-based spirit.; Nose: Robust aroma with jasmine and citrus; Taste: Dark chocolate undertones, rich and velvety. | Aktuel; Kernesortiment; Available | ||
| Headlands – Single Malt Whisky – Seppeltsfield Rare Rich Apera Cask | Single Malt Whisky | 46 % | 5 Year Old | Oak casks seasoned with 18 year old Seppeltsfield Rare Rich Apera; finish: Finished in oak casks seasoned with 18 year old Seppeltsfield Rare Rich Apera | Single malt whisky distilled and barrelled in Wollongong and finished in casks seasoned with Seppeltsfield Rare Rich Apera.; Nose: Marmalade and dried fruit peel; Taste: Walnuts, complex toasted oak, baked pears and vanilla. | Aktuel; Kernesortiment; Available |
| Headlands – Single Malt Whisky – Muscat Cask 46% | Single Malt Whisky | 46 % | French oak cask seasoned with 15 year old Seppeltsfield Rare Muscat; finish: Finished for an additional year | Single malt whisky matured in ex-bourbon casks from Four Roses Distillery and finished in a French oak cask seasoned with Seppeltsfield Rare Muscat.; Nose: Beautiful aroma; Taste: Very smooth with a beautiful aroma. | Aktuel; Kernesortiment; Available | |
| Headlands – Single Cask Whisky – Pedro Ximenez Cask 46% | Single Malt Whisky; Spanish Sherry Cask | 46 % | 7 Year Old | ex-bourbon cask; finish: 3 years finishing in authentic Spanish Pedro Ximenez Sherry Cask from Jerez | First-release single cask whisky in the Spanish Sherry Cask range, matured four years in Four Roses ex-bourbon casks and finished three years in an authentic Spanish Pedro Ximenez sherry cask from Jerez.; Nose: -; Taste: Raisins, fig cake, molasses, dark chocolate and orange marmalade. | Kommende; Preorder |
| Headlands – Single Cask Whisky – Oloroso Cask 46% | Single Malt Whisky; Spanish Sherry Cask | 46 % | 7 Year Old | ex-bourbon cask; finish: 3 years finishing in authentic Spanish Oloroso Sherry Cask from Jerez | First-release single cask whisky in the Spanish Sherry Cask range, matured four years in Four Roses ex-bourbon casks and finished three years in an authentic Spanish Oloroso sherry cask from Jerez.; Nose: -; Taste: Cocoa, roasted nuts, spiced oak and treacle. | Kommende; Preorder |
| Headlands – Single Cask Whisky – Palo Cortado Cask 46% | Single Malt Whisky; Spanish Sherry Cask | 46 % | 7 Year Old | ex-bourbon cask; finish: 3 years finishing in authentic Spanish Palo Cortado Sherry Cask from Jerez | First-release single cask whisky in the Spanish Sherry Cask range, matured four years in Four Roses ex-bourbon casks and finished three years in an authentic Spanish Palo Cortado sherry cask from Jerez.; Nose: -; Taste: Toffee, orange peel, salted caramel and roasted almond. | Kommende; Preorder |
| Headlands – Single Malt Whisky – Illawarra Plum Single Cask 46% | Single Malt Whisky | 46 % | American Oak ex-bourbon barrel; finish: Transferred to a Spirit of the Illawarra Plum barrel | Single cask Australian single malt whiskies distilled in 2016, bottled in 2023, first aged four years in American oak ex-bourbon barrel and then three years in a Spirit of the Illawarra Plum barrel.; Nose: Distinct bush tucker plum character; Taste: Sugarbag honey, vanilla bean, caramel apple and subtle smoked oak. | Udgået; Sold out; 399 bottles | |
| Headlands & Resin – Single Malt Whisky – Resin Brewing 8 Shades Stout Cask | Single Malt Whisky | ex-stout beer casks | Collaborative single malt whisky finished in ex-stout beer casks.; Nose: -; Taste: Dark chocolate and hazelnut. | Aktuel; Available |
Whisky style and flavor profile
Across the range, there is a clear line of marmalade, dried fruit, and citrus fruit in the sweeter casks, while nuts, toffee, and caramel provide fullness. Apera and the Spanish sherry casks contribute walnuts, toasted oak, cocoa, salted caramel, raisins, fig cake, molasses, and orange marmalade. At the same time, there is a more Australian character in products with Illawarra Plum, sugarbag honey, vanilla bean, and caramel apple, while the stout collab leans toward dark chocolate and hazelnut. Several products also lift floral and aromatic notes with jasmine, citrus, floral tones, and fresh juniper.
Visit the distillery
The distillery welcomes visitors in Wollongong and offers tours that show the entire grain to glass process. Visiting hours are scheduled for Friday from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM and Sunday from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM, and another time can also be arranged directly. The front page also mentions a free visit with a tour and tasting, so the public can experience the distillery and taste the products on site.
The stated opening hours are Friday 16:00–18:00 and Sunday 12:00–16:00; another time can also be arranged by contacting them.
Philosophy and craftsmanship
Headlands works from a clear grain to glass philosophy, where every part of the production is carried out from scratch. The distillery emphasizes purity, high quality, and full control from paddock to glass. In the company story, scientific precision and a practical engineering approach are also combined with stubbornness and persistence as a guiding principle behind the development of its spirits.
Prices and awards
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Double Gold Medal (2024, Won, Seacliff Vodka)
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Platinum medal (2024, Won, Seacliff Vodka)