Published:
Readtime: 4 min
Every product is carefully selected by our editors and experts. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more. For more information on how we test products, click here.
With 2025 marking its 100th distilling season, St Agnes is Australia’s oldest family-run distillery and an undisputed jewel in the crown of Australian spirits. As a result, we can’t think of a better way to show someone how much they mean to you this festive season than with a brandy from this iconic distillery. There are many to choose from, but here we’re going to take a closer look at two particularly exquisite offerings from the St Agnes stable.
The first is the XXO Exceptional Reserve 50 Year Old, a 500-bottle limited release that—as its name suggests—was aged for half a century before making its way into its elegant bottle. While the second is the XO 15 Year Old, one of Australia’s most highly regarded spirits, as proven by its long list of awards.
So, let’s take a closer look at these remarkable expressions that are sure to enhance any end-of-year celebration and be the star of any spirits collection.
St Agnes XXO Exceptional Reserve 50 Year Old
You might think that to name a brandy “exceptional” would be verging on the hyperbolic, but here it feels more like something of an understatement, especially when it achieved two perfect 100/100-point scores from respected Australian critics Nick Ryan and Tony Love. This is a very special spirit indeed, not only due to it being limited to just 500 bottles, but also because it is the oldest Australian aged spirit release ever.
It would be impressive enough that the majority of grapes used in its creation were distilled between 1970 and 1972, but even more astounding is the fact that the oldest among them likely dates all the way back to 1953. Their sheer variety is also worth noting, with doradillo, Pedro Ximenez, palomino, and sultana all playing a crucial role.
Their years of development have given this brandy a rich mahogany hue, as well as notes of Persian dates, marmalade, rocky road chocolate, and rose water on the nose. On the palate, you’ll encounter bitter candied orange and caramelised apricot, while nutty rancio characters appear alongside hints of leather, cardamon, and prunes, followed by a final lingering note of spice.
Whether you’re gifting this to someone special or rewarding yourself after a long year, this brandy is sure to astound, offering the kind of rich journey of scent and taste that could only be delivered by Australia’s oldest aged spirit. It’s guaranteed to cause goosebumps from the first sip to the very last.
Price: AUD$4,800
St Agnes XO 15 Year Old
As promised, we’re also exploring St Agnes’ legendary XO 15 Year Old. First released in 2007, it has gone on to become one of Australia’s most highly regarded spirits with an exhaustive list of awards to prove it. Wonderfully refined, elegant, and smooth, it boasts a level of quality that’s impossible to beat at this price point.
With its enticing shade of golden amber, you’ll find fruity aromas of the citrus, stone, and candied varieties, as well as quince jelly and marmalade, superbly matched with sweet oak. On the palate, there are echoes of the stone fruit aroma paired with an alcohol warmth, along with notes of cedary sweet oak and aged rancio character.
Aged for a minimum of 15 years, this is an extraordinary demonstration of what happens when the most esteemed distillery in Australia can take its time and allow oak and spirit interact over the course of a decade and a half, coaxing out some of the most extraordinary home-grown flavours you’ll ever encounter.
Price: AUD$145
Whether you’re looking to gift (or receive) the kind of once-in-a-lifetime experience offered by the XXO Exceptional Reserve 50 Year Old, or you’re excited to try the famed XO 15 Year Old, a drop of St Agnes is guaranteed to make this a holiday season you’ll never forget.
Plus, you can explore the entire St Agnes catalogue of remarkable spirits via the link below.
Comments
We love hearing from you. or to leave a comment.