If you’re looking to dip your toe into the world of Scotch and are interested in learning more about whisky, this hub is for you. This hub explores some of the best Scotch Whisky from The GlenDronach, Glenglassaugh and Benriach, including gifting suggestions, food pairing and what venues serve these esteemed whiskies.
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Bringing together 10 of Australia’s best whisky bars, the Fifty Society is a selection of venues located along the east coast of Australia that dominate the whisky scene in their respective cities. They champion the barley elixir and advocate strongly for the Scottish dram, and have partnered with The GlenDronach and Benriach to bring more of these distilleries’ wares to your glass. Each venue will showcase a broad range of single-malt whiskies—including a few hidden gems—to ensure each visitor’s time is memorable, leaving them with a desire to come back and explore the collection further.
Discover the Fifty Society Establishments Where You Can Get Your Hands on GlenDronach, Glenglassaugh and Benriach Below.
The Gresham Bar
Location: 308 Queen St, Brisbane City,
QLD 4000
Having opened in late 2013, The Gresham celebrated 10 years of serving Brisbane this year. This venue has become an anchor of the Brisbane whisky scene, offering a suitably wide array of whiskies from all over the world. Boasting delectable cocktails, whisky flights, and some of Australia’s finest bartenders, it’s time to pull up a stool at the bar and enjoy the atmosphere of a Brisbane icon.
Hains & Co
Location: 23 Gilbert Place, Adelaide,
SA 5000
A hidden gem in the heart of Adelaide’s CBD, Hains & Co is all about whisky, rum, gin, and cocktails. The team even hosts monthly whisky 101 masterclasses, preaching the good word to their loyal regulars. Hains & Co has become a beloved staple of the Adelaide bar scene and continues to innovate in all things drinks and service. A must-visit bar if you’re a local or you’re planning a trip to Adelaide.
NOLA
Location: 28 Vardon Ave, Adelaide,
SA 5000
With a selection of over 200 bottles, NOLA is an establishment that takes its whisky seriously, even boasting its own whisky club. Strong advocates for the whisky flights that adorn their menu, this venue’s bartenders take eager whisky drinkers on a trip around the whisky world, or they’ll let you tailor your own journey. Saying that, there’s something for everyone at this late-night Adelaide haunt.
Savile Row
Location: 667 Ann St, Fortitude Valley,
QLD 4006
Head beyond its famed orange door to discover this inviting Brisbane whisky institution. Once you’ve pulled up a chair and perused the back bar’s enormous whisky collection, let the talented Savile Row team fill your glass with a dram of your choosing or a brilliantly crafted whisky cocktail. This award-winning bar is definitely one to have at the top of your Brisbane whisky walkabout list.
Strato
Location: 40/ 202 Normanby Rd, Southbank, VIC 3006
Strato offers whisky lovers stunning 360-degree views of the Melbourne skyline, along with lush surrounds that are ideal for enjoying a whisky or crafted cocktail in. With an impressive back catalogue of GlenDronach super limited releases—including some hard-to-find Grandeur releases—Strato is one Melbourne bar you can revisit time and again and always find a new GlenDronach to delight your taste buds.
Death & Taxes
Location: 36 Burnett Lane, Brisbane City,
QLD 4000
Step through Death & Taxes’ double wooden doors and you’ll find yourself presented with a back bar that’s home to 1000+ bottles, including a wide array of premium Scotch whiskies. Such is this team’s dedication to the dram that they’ve even launched their own YouTube channel (Whisky Diaries), which chronicles their adventures in whisky. Check out the bar and channel for an education on all things whisky.
Whisky & Alement
Location: 270 Russell St, Melbourne,
VIC 3000
Winner of ‘Best Whisky Bar’ at World Whiskies Awards 2023 and an iconic Melbourne venue for 13 years now, Whisky & Alement hosts regular whisky tastings and boasts an abundance of Scotch over the bar. This venue is well known for its team’s depth of knowledge and passion for sharing it with Melburnians. Plus, its tasting nights with global ambassadors, blenders, and distillers have become the stuff of legend.
Baxter Inn
Location: 152/156 Clarence St, Sydney,
NSW 2000
Australia’s most highly awarded whisky bar, The Baxter Inn is a must visit if you’re in Sydney’s Clarence St bar hub. Enter via the basement stairs and get lost in the wall-length back bar packed with Scotch whisky. If you’re feeling bold, ask for a sneak peek of the famed Whisky Room, where you’ll find some serious treasures from the likes of The GlenDronach and Benriach. The whisky bar that started it all in Sydney.
Bancho
Location: 10 Thomas Lane, Haymarket,
NSW 2000
Bancho has popped up in Chinatown and cemented itself as the go-to whisky venue for this corner of Sydney’s CBD. The Bancho team’s dedication to whisky is unwavering and their clever weaving of Asian-inspired flavours into intricate cocktails is very impressive indeed. Plus, you can take advantage of a bottle-keep service on the mezzanine level, so you can store your favourite bottle and return when you wish.
The Doss House
Location: 77/79 George St, The Rocks,
NSW 2000
The Doss House provides an inviting spot for a whisky in the heart of Sydney’s historic Rocks district. A specialist whisky bar, it over-indexes in both Scotch and Irish drams, with twists on classic cocktails occupying the pages of its ever-changing menu. The team even started a Whisky & Oyster Festival in 2023 to celebrate this sublime pairing, which is set to become an unmissable annual street party.
Know Your Whisky
Christmas Gifting
There are many drops to choose from when it comes to gifting the good stuff, but as Christmas is such a special time of year, we see it as an opportunity to indulge in something exceptional. Find the very best whiskies for you and your loved ones to luxuriate with this Christmas.
Food Pairing
Whisky with the right food can unlock new realms of deliciousness hiding within every sip. From humble nibblies to robust mains and indulgent desserts, each has a role to play in helping to enhance your whisky experience.
Cocktails
Scotch whisky is actually one of the most flexible – not to mention delicious – spirits when it comes to the elite art of cocktail mixing. Find whisky recommendations from Benriach’s extensive range, as the breadth of flavours the range contains really helps to bring your cocktails to life.
7 Must-Visit Whisky Venues
Get ready to embrace the spirit of whisky appreciation! Whether you’re a seasoned enthusiast or new to the delightful world of whisky, our curated list of 7 must-visit venues will enhance your experience. There’s something for everyone, from iconic spots to hidden gems.
Benriach Toasts to Malting Season with Third Edition Single Malt Whisky
Did you know that Benriach is just one of two Speyside distilleries that distils whisky from its own floor maltings? It’s in honour of this ancient practice that Malting Season—a creamy limited-edition single malt—is released annually. For the newly launched Third Edition, master blender Dr. Rachel Barrie selected concerto barley straight from the malting floor and sent the resulting distillate into a combination of virgin oak and first-fill bourbon casks. And so a tradition of handcrafted excellence continues.
Celebrate World Whisky Day With These Signature Serves From The GlenDronach
The iconic Highlands distillery remains best-known for its delicious flagship 12-year-old single malt, a one-stop masterclass that marks the pinnacle of craftsmanship and sherry-cask maturation. But also don’t sleep on core expressions such as the Portwood or Traditionally Peated, both of which put an exciting and invigorating twist on the brand’s signature style whilst veering outside the age statement category. With World Whisky Day and the GlenDronach, there’s no shortage of ways to celebrate!
$70,000 Glenglassaugh 55-Year-Old
Shatters Auction Records
An exceptionally rare 55-year-old Glenglassaugh Scotch whisky has shattered auction records after going under the hammer in the United Kingdom. Offered as part of the Distillers One of One Charity Auction, which aids in raising vital funds for disadvantaged children in Scotland, the Glenglassaugh Coalescene of the Coast aged 55 years tipped the scales at a whopping AUD$71,518 (£37,500). According to the organisers, the remarkable sum marks the highest price ever achieved for a Glenglassaugh release at auction, but this whisky had more than just time on its side.
Learn More About The The Glenglassaugh Coalescence of the Coast aged 55 Years
Glenglassaugh Unearths a Seafaring 50-Year-Old
Single Malt
Hidden in the Scottish highlands, far from the big-name producers and whisky icons, you’ll find Glenglassaugh, a distillery that previously lay dormant. For more than two decades the coastal distillery sat empty and its name went un-uttered, but in 2008, the Sandend Bay Scotch producer was reborn. In the years that have passed, Glenglassaugh has carved out a legacy for boutique young whiskies. A stunning Glenglassaugh 50-Year-Old has just been unearthed, representing one of the distillery’s oldest and rarest expressions. Better yet, it’s headed Down Under.
1993 Vintage GlenDronach Single Cask 28yo Dan Murphy’s
The GlenDronach is one of the most renowned names in whisky, so when the sherry-cask master distillery launches one of its rare single-cask releases, whisky lovers everywhere pay close attention. In fact, so high is demand that it can often be hard to get your hands on one. Fortunately, this year The GlenDronach has teamed up with Dan Murphys for an exclusive Australian release of a 28-year-old single cask that’s sure to get the whisky community talking!
