Tasmania’s Callington Mill Wins Best Australian Single Malt Whisky Title for Second Year Running
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- Tasmania’s Callington Mill has won Best of Class Australian Single Malt Whisky at the 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition for its El Sol expression.
- It marks the Oatlands distillery’s second consecutive category win, following its Pedro Ximénez whisky in 2025.
- El Sol is a 46% ABV Tasmanian single malt matured in ex-Sherry casks that costs AUD $149.
Tasmania’s Callington Mill has done it again, claiming the Best of Class Australian Single Malt Whisky title at the 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. This year, its El Sol expression took the podium, with the distillery promising a sweet-sounding mix of persistent flavours and a lasting finish that supposedly “captivates the senses”.
The win follows Callington Mill’s 2025 victory with Pedro Ximénez, making it two years running for the Oatlands distillery. Add El Sol’s 2023 Best of Class Australian Whisky award, and Callington Mill has now won three category titles in four years.
It wasn’t the only Callington Mill whisky to impress the judges. El Sol and Oloroso accounted for two of the five finalists in this year’s Australian single malt category, with the distillery beating fellow Australian whisky contenders from Starward and Coburns to take the top spot.
What Makes Callington Mill’s El Sol Stand Out?
Bottled at 46% ABV, El Sol is matured in ex-sherry casks sourced from Jerez, Spain. Shipping a few barrels overseas sounds simple enough, until you see how much thought has gone into the cask selection. The distillery uses barrels previously seasoned with several sherry styles, giving the whisky its rich, fruit-forward character.
Those barrels held a mix of Oloroso, Pedro Ximénez, Amontillado, Palo Cortado, Fino and Moscatel, which together give the single malt its “luscious and full-textured” profile.
According to the competition’s judges, El Sol offers aromas of freshly polished wood and rich toffee, with tobacco, oak and cocoa on the palate. Yeah, I gotta get a dram of that.
And I bet there’s been a few celebratory toasts with this in the glass.
“To be awarded Best of Class at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition once was an honour; to win it back-to-back proves the consistency and calibre of our distilling team,” founder John Ibrahim said.
“This victory is a proud moment for us and for Tasmania’s thriving single malt industry.”
If the much stronger 65.2% ABV single-Moscatel-cask Callington Mill Lake Frederick Inn release we reviewed is any indication of quality, we’re in for a treat.
Three Double Gold Medals and Another Gold
Beyond the Best of Class result, Callington Mill picked up Double Gold medals for El Sol ($149), Oloroso ($149) and its peated Quagmire expression ($159). The Heritage Release ($195) also earned Gold.
All four whiskies are on Callington Mill’s website, but if you’re heading down to Oatlands anytime soon, definitely hit up the cellar door to try a few more before you grab a 700ml bottle of El Sol to take home.
Ibrahim says his vision has always been to make Callington Mill “the benchmark for modern distilling” in Oatlands. And with another international award under its belt, the cellar door is a pretty good place to see how that’s coming along.
While you’re in the area, you can visit more amazing whisky distilleries in Tasmania.
1/4Every Award-Winning Callington Mill Whisky
Double Gold:
- Callington Mill Distillery El Sol Tasmanian Single Malt Whisky ($149)
- Callington Mill Distillery Oloroso Tasmanian Single Malt Whisky ($149)
- Callington Mill Distillery Quagmire (Peated) Tasmanian Single Malt Whisky ($159)
Gold:
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