History

Yack Creek Distillery was established in 2016, after two friends discussed business opportunities while sitting on a beach in Western Australia. Jamie is Head Distiller and has completed a course in malting & brewing to refine his skills and experiment with different types of grains, molasses and casks. The distillery is located two kilometres outside the town of Yackandandah by Yack Creek and enjoys the water source from the creeks and Stanley Forest – the area is described as a peaceful setting for the distillery and crab life in the creek. The logo is born out of the Blue Murray Spiny Crayfish, which can be found in the area’s creeks. The distillery is described as family-owned and handcrafted-produced in Yackandandah, and products are hand-brewed, distilled, bottled and labeled by hand.

Production / Manufacturing

Whisky production is built on 100% Australian-malted barley. Production starts with malted grain in batches and fermentation in 1000-litre fermentation tanks, after which the spirit is distilled in a copper- and glass-tower still and a 130-litre stainless/copper modular high-column still. This two-still setup provides flexibility and room for experimentation. All neutral spirits are produced on-site from Australian grain and molasses, and the distillation water is soft water from Stanley Forest Hills. The aim is to keep the distillery as a micro-business producing small batch releases throughout the year. The whisky production is described as double-distilled and non-chill-filtered, with an ABV typically around 46–47% across the variants.

Products / Whisky Series

Yack Creek Distillery produces a range of single malt whiskies with different cask finishes: - 023 Single Malt Whisky Bourbon Cask: Aged in Buffalo Trace Bourbon cask; 46% ABV; notes on the nose include vanilla and caramel, and palate notes include peanut brittle, vanilla and caramel; double-distilled and non-chill-filtered; 25 bottles in cask-strength. - 025 Whisky Single Malt 48.0%, Red Wine French Oak Cask: Single barrel aged in an ex-red wine French oak cask; 48% ABV; notes of dark cocoa, chocolate, cherry cola, orange zest, Christmas cookies, caramel and spices; double-distilled and non-chill-filtered; 25 bottles in cask-strength. - 027 Single Malt Whisky ex Bourbon Cask: Initially aged in ex-Bourbon cask, later moved to smaller casks with a codex of Red wine, Smoke Whisky, Rum and beer-based grain; 47.2% ABV; notes of vanilla cake, green pear, grain and toffee; double-distilled and non-chill-filtered; 25 bottles in cask-strength.

Visits / Experiences

Find us: Yack Creek Distillery is located two kilometres outside Yackandandah. On foot you can follow the trail from Yackandandah Sports Park along Yack Creek for about 40 minutes, or you can drive along Bells Flat Road out of town, after which the distillery will appear on the left. There is also an on-site beer selection with 18 beers on tap and a relaxed beer garden. Light snacks are served and a popular DIY board consisting of cheese, dips, olives and meat as well as crackers and nuts.

Philosophy

Yack Creek Distillery is HANDCRAFTED IN YACKANDANDAH and produced in-house, family-owned and operated. The product is “Product of Australia” and the water comes from Yack Creek. The distillery aims to be a micro-business producing small-batch releases throughout the year. The production emphasizes locally produced Australian ingredients and hand-distillation and hand-bottling, and the logo is inspired by the crayfish in the area’s creeks.