Distillery profile

Bakery Hill Distillery

Explore the distillery's history, craft, production, and the distinctive character of its whiskies.

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Bakery Hill Distillery

About the distillery, in brief

Bakery Hill Distillery is located in Kensington, near Melbourne, and is a family-owned Australian single malt distillery with more than 20 years of whisky production behind it. The place is interesting because it was built on the desire to prove that great whisky can also be made outside Scotland. Today, the distillery combines production, tastings, tours, and an open visitor setup in the Sly Grog Shop.

History

Bakery Hill was founded by David Baker, a former chemistry teacher, who set out to disprove the claim that whisky could only be made in Scotland due to the particular air and the particular water. He wanted to show that excellent whisky could also be created in Melbourne, and over the following decades it became a family-owned and -run distillery with a clear focus on single malt. Since then, the distillery has achieved broad recognition, including as SouthernHemisphere Whisky of the Year 2020 and as Best Small Distillery Whisky of the Year 2005 in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible. Today, Bakery Hill has moved to a new base in Kensington, where it continues its work with both production and education.

Ingredients and production

Bakery Hill works as a family-owned and -run distillery, and there is clearly an emphasis on helping guests learn how whisky is made and enjoyed. It is a working distillery, which means that production is not just a backdrop for visitors—it is the very center of the experience. The text states that visitors can see how Bakery Hill produces its malts, and that during tours there is an opportunity to touch, smell, and taste the different elements in the single malt production. The specific details about ingredients, mashing, fermentation, distillation, and water are not described in the provided material, so the most important point here is the ambition to make the craft understandable and present to the audience.

Whiskies

The range appears built around Bakery Hill’s Signature Range, where Classic Malt, Double Wood, and Peated Malt are the clearest names. Classic Malt and Double Wood belong to the classic side of the house, while Peated Malt shows that the distillery also works with peated expressions. Double Wood is described as complex, approachable, and rich, and it gives a good picture of a style that can both appeal to curious beginners and to more experienced whisky drinkers. In addition to whisky, gin is also mentioned in connection with private tours, but it lies outside the core whisky range.

Whisky Type / series Alcohol Cask and style Tasting profile Status
Classic Malt Single Malt Whisky; Signature Range 46 % Current; Core range; Included in Miners 3 Pack and described as part of the Signature Range.
Double Wood Single Malt Whisky; Signature Range 46 % Described as complex, approachable, and rich with a warm experience. Current; Core range; Included in Miners 3 Pack and referred to as part of the Signature Range.
Peated Malt Single Malt Whisky; Signature Range 46 % peated/smoky Current; Core range; Included in Miners 3 Pack and described as part of the Signature Range.

Style and tasting profile of the whiskies

Bakery Hill’s whiskies paint a picture of a style that ranges from malty richness to smoke and warm complexity. Classic Malt points toward a clean and traditional malt profile, while Double Wood is described as rich, multidimensional, and with a warm feel. Peated Malt adds a smoky direction, so that the portfolio as a whole includes classic malt, cask character, and smoke.

Visit the distillery

Bakery Hill is open to visitors through Sly Grog Shop in Kensington, where you can drop by for a dram and on weekends also experience the distillery floor with on-site service and takeaway. There are fixed opening hours Wednesday and Thursday 11-6, Friday 11-9, Saturday 1-9, and Sunday 1-6. The distillery offers regular guided tours, guided tastings of about 30–45 minutes, and private tours for groups of 6–25 people. The private tours last 90 minutes and include tasting the core range as well as gin. Booking is required for tastings and private tours.

The stated opening hours are Wed & Thurs 11-6, Fri 11-9, Sat 1-9, Sun 1-6.

Philosophy and craft

Bakery Hill is built on a distinctly independent and rebellious attitude. The distillery describes itself as family-owned and -run and lets the name and story draw connections to Eureka Stockade and a willingness to go its own way. At the same time, there is a clear educational ambition: they don’t just want to sell whisky, but also teach people how it is made and enjoyed.

Awards and recognition

  • SouthernHemisphere Whisky of the Year (2020, Winner)

  • Best Small Distillery Whisky of the Year (2005, Winner)