Bakery Hill — Australia’s First Modern Mainland Single Malt Whisky Distillery
Bakery Hill is one of Australia’s most celebrated, pioneering, and historically significant single malt whisky distilleries — a small-batch, artisan producer from Melbourne, Victoria, whose whiskies have earned international recognition and a devoted following among whisky lovers around the world. Founded in 1999 by David Baker — a former high school chemistry teacher and food scientist — Bakery Hill holds a unique and irreplaceable place in the story of Australian whisky as the first modern commercial whisky distillery established on the Australian mainland.
History & Heritage
When David Baker founded Bakery Hill in 1999, the modern Australian whisky industry was confined almost entirely to Tasmania. The mainland was considered unsuitable — or at least unproven — for producing world-class single malt whisky, and Baker was frequently told that exceptional single malt could only be produced in Scotland, due to its unique air and water. Rather than accept this orthodoxy, Baker applied his scientific background as a chemist and food scientist to test the theory rigorously — and to prove it wrong.
The name Bakery Hill was chosen deliberately and defiantly. Bakery Hill is the historic precinct in Ballarat, Victoria, where in 1854 the miners of the Eureka Rebellion gathered to burn their mining licences in protest against colonial authority — an act of defiance that became one of the defining moments in the story of Australian democracy. For David Baker, the name was a declaration of intent: Bakery Hill Distillery was his own rebellion — a rebellion against the traditional Scotch whisky monopoly and the received wisdom that great single malt could only come from Scotland. Every bottle produced at Bakery Hill carries that spirit of independence, craftsmanship, and defiance.
After operating for over two decades out of Melbourne’s outer eastern suburbs — including premises in Bayswater and North Balwyn — Bakery Hill raised $700,000 through crowdfunding to relocate to a larger, purpose-built production facility with a public cellar door in Kensington, just outside the Melbourne CBD. The move marks a new chapter for one of Australia’s most important distilleries — bringing Bakery Hill closer to its audience and giving whisky lovers the opportunity to visit, taste, and experience the distillery in person for the first time.
Production & Distillation
Every Bakery Hill whisky is produced entirely on-site in a true grain-to-glass operation — milled, brewed, and double distilled at the Melbourne distillery before being matured in single American Oak ex-Bourbon barrels from Jack Daniel’s. Single barrel maturation means that each release is a unique expression of one cask, with no blending to mask individual character. The whiskies are bottled at 46% ABV as standard — a strength chosen to preserve flavour integrity without chill filtration — with cask strength expressions bottled undiluted at approximately 60% ABV.
For its peated expressions, Bakery Hill sources malted barley peated in northern Scotland to a low-to-medium peating level, producing a Highland-style smokiness that complements rather than dominates the spirit’s natural fruit and malt character. Australian malted barley is used throughout the range, reflecting Baker’s commitment to sourcing the finest local ingredients and his conviction that Australian conditions — far from being a disadvantage — are ideally suited to producing whisky of world-class quality.
The Region: Melbourne & Victoria, Australia
Bakery Hill is based in Melbourne, Victoria — Australia’s cultural capital and the heartland of the country’s craft distilling movement. Victoria’s climate — warm, dry summers and cool winters — creates ideal conditions for whisky maturation, with greater temperature variation than Scotland accelerating the interaction between spirit and oak. This means Australian whiskies can develop remarkable complexity in a shorter time than their Scottish counterparts, producing rich, flavour-forward expressions that punch well above their age. Victoria’s rich agricultural landscape provides access to premium Australian malted barley, and the state’s vibrant craft distilling culture has made it one of the most exciting whisky-producing regions in the world.
Awards & Recognition
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Southern Hemisphere Whisky of the Year 2020 — Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible (Peated Malt Cask Strength)
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Gold Medal — 2021 Australian Distilled Spirits Awards (Peated Malt Single Malt)
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Silver Medal — 2024 Australian Distilled Spirits Awards (Blend)
- Consistently recognised by leading whisky critics and publications as one of Australia’s benchmark single malt producers
- Regarded as the pioneer of mainland Australian craft whisky, with over 25 years of continuous production
Our Range
Bakery Hill Classic Single Malt Whisky 500mL — 46% ABV — The flagship expression and the heart of the range. A Speyside-style single malt, double distilled in Melbourne from Australian malted barley and matured up to eight years in American Oak ex-Bourbon barrels. Complex sweet nose of green apples, spiced honey, and cider. Nutmeg, spiced honey, firm cereal, and malty richness on the palate. Mouth-filling, smooth, and lingering finish with satisfying warmth.
Bakery Hill Peated Malt Single Malt Whisky 500mL — 46% ABV — A Highland-style peated single malt using barley peated in northern Scotland to a low-to-medium level, matured up to eight years in American Oak ex-Bourbon barrels. Rich gold russet in colour. Subdued peat aroma with natural leathery earthiness, kumquat, and fruit mince tart on the nose. Tobacco leaf earthiness with complex smoky peat, toffee, and honeycomb on the palate. Long and complex finish. Gold Medal, 2021 Australian Distilled Spirits Awards.
Bakery Hill Peated Malt Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 500mL — approx. 60% ABV — The same peated single malt bottled undiluted at cask strength from individual barrels. Rich gold russet with earthy peat, kumquat, and fruit mince tart on the nose. Tobacco leaf earthiness with complex smoky peat on the palate and a long, complex finish. Add a few drops of still water to open extraordinary depth and complexity. Southern Hemisphere Whisky of the Year 2020, Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.
Bakery Hill The Blunderbuss Single Malt Whisky 500mL — 52% ABV — A remarkable limited edition collaboration with Hop Nation Craft Brewers. The Bakery Hill Classic spirit was matured six years in American Oak ex-Bourbon barrels, then one year in a Bakery Hill Peated Single Malt barrel, then one year in a Hop Nation Kalash Russian Imperial Stout barrel, before a final year of finishing at Bakery Hill. Coffee, cashew nuts, sugarcane, apple pie, citrus, and pine on the nose; honey, orange, and lavender on the palate with lingering stout and caramel flavours.
Bakery Hill Eldorado Batch 1 Seasonal Release 500mL — 48% ABV — The first instalment in Bakery Hill’s Seasonal release series. Classic spirit matured three years in American Oak ex-Bourbon barrels, then 12 months in apera barrels from the historic Seppeltsfield winery in the Barossa Valley, then re-casked into American Oak for a final year. Strawberry, fairy floss, spiced honey, dried fruits, cranberry, vanilla, and pavlova on the nose. Creamy vanilla, nougat, peach syrup, lavender, and strawberry on the palate.
Bakery Hill Blend Whisky 500mL — 46% ABV — Bakery Hill’s first ever blended whisky — a custom formulation of Bakery Hill Single Malt whiskies blended with pure Australian grain spirit, matured up to ten years in American Oak ex-Bourbon casks. Extra smooth, sweet, and bright with citrus, cereal, fruit, and honey character. Silver Medal, 2024 Australian Distilled Spirits Awards.
Bakery Hill Miners 5-Pack 5x50mL — The perfect introduction to the full Bakery Hill Signature range. Includes five 50mL miniatures: Classic Malt (46% ABV), Double Wood (46% ABV), Peated Malt (46% ABV), Classic Malt Cask Strength (approx. 60% ABV), and Peated Malt Cask Strength (approx. 60% ABV). An ideal gift for the whisky enthusiast.
How to Enjoy Bakery Hill Whisky
The Classic and Blend expressions are wonderfully versatile — excellent neat, over a large ice cube, or as the base of a premium Highball or Old Fashioned. The Peated Malt is best appreciated neat or with a small splash of still water to open the smoke and reveal the fruit beneath. The Cask Strength expressions reward patience — add water gradually and allow the whisky to breathe in the glass. The Eldorado and Blunderbuss are collector’s pieces best savoured slowly and without distraction.
Explore our full range of Bakery Hill whiskies below and discover why this Melbourne distillery — founded in 1999 as a rebellion against the Scotch whisky monopoly, and now entering an exciting new chapter at its Kensington cellar door — is one of Australia’s most important and celebrated producers.
