Castle Glen Distillery
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Queensland's first whisky producer, located in the Granite Belt wine region near Stanthorpe. Castle Glen started as a vineyard in 1990, with the iconic 'Castle' built in 1994, and became a distillery in 2009. Produces single malt whiskeys under 'The Australian Whiskey Company' label, double distilled and aged in oak. Also produces rum, gin, liqueurs, wines and beer. Over 82 national and international awards including 5 Gold Medals and 3 Champion Awards at the Australian Distilled Spirits Awards and Australian Rum Awards. 100% natural, chemical-free and preservative-free production.
Production Details
The Castle Glen Distillery Tale
The Granite Belt stretches across Queensland's southern highlands, where altitude tempers Australia's fierce heat and ancient granite bones push through red earth. Here, among the wine country near Stanthorpe, Cedric Ritter built something unprecedented in 2009—Queensland's first whisky distillery.
Castle Glen began its story two decades earlier as a vineyard, its roots sinking deep into granite-fed soil in 1990. The iconic castle that gives the distillery its name rose four years later, a bold statement on the rolling landscape. But it was the decision to pivot from grape to grain that would make history.
The Granite Belt bore water that feeds Castle Glen carries the essence of this ancient geological foundation—filtered through stone laid down millions of years before the first European settlers arrived. This water, drawn from deep beneath the vineyard rows, becomes the backbone of every drop that flows from Ritter's copper stills.
Queensland's climate presents a challenge unknown to Scottish distillers. Where Highland whisky sleeps through gentle seasons, Castle Glen's spirit wrestles with temperature swings that can span forty degrees. The oak breathes harder here, expanding and contracting with subtropical intensity. What might take a decade to achieve in cooler climates happens in half the time, the angels claiming their share more greedily under the Australian sun.
Ritter's commitment to double distillation reflects a deliberate choice—not merely following tradition, but adapting it to this unique terroir. His stills work harder in the Queensland heat, but the elevation of the Granite Belt provides respite, cooling nights that allow for precision in the cut.
The transformation from vineyard to distillery speaks to something essentially Australian—the willingness to reimagine, to push boundaries. When Ritter fired up his stills for the first time, he wasn't just making whisky; he was proving that the ancient craft could take root in new soil, could speak with an Australian accent.
Today, Castle Glen operates under The Australian Whiskey Company label, its spirits carrying the mineral signature of granite water and the intensity of Queensland's climate. Each bottle holds not just whisky, but the story of a continent learning to distill its own character, one drop at a time.