A secret facility in the foothills of the ranges…it sounds like a description of Batman’s lair, but it also accurately describes Melbourne’s Bakery Hill Distillery.
Set against a background of the picturesque Dandenong Mountains, the distillery appears from the outside to be an inconspicuous warehouse, next to a smallgoods wholesaler and across the road from an automotive garage. If it weren’t for the tiny sign on the door and the faint malty aromas wafting through the air, you would have no idea that this is the base for all operations for Bakery Hill.
This is exactly how founder and distiller, David Baker, prefers it. While he’s more than happy to accommodate fans of his whiskies with a quick tour and tasting, the more time he can spend brewing, distilling and bottling, the better, as he contends with the ever-increasing demand for his product. A string of 90+ scores in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible has set the enthusiasts talking, and you’ll see David’s whisky on the shelf in many of Melbourne’s top bars, including Madame Brussels and Cookie.
Despite the busy times, all is very quiet the day I arrive at the distillery. A blockage in the council pipes has brought a brief halt to production while plumbers tend to the problem. Low wines sit quietly in the receiver, the fruity aromas floating across the room as it awaits second distillation. There is still plenty to do, however, with a cask of ‘ready-to-go’ whisky needing to be selected and bottled to fill the current crop of orders.
It is all very hands on for David Baker, a former food scientist, who runs the entire process from milling the malt to bottling and labeling the whisky. In 1999 he became fed up with hearing whisky experts harping on and on about Scotland being the best place to make whisky and took it as a personal challenge to prove he could match the Scots from his hometown of Melbourne.
His approach is very scientific, with barley and yeast carefully selected according to the flavours they can produce. His copper pot still was designed, built and installed by a top Scottish engineering firm, its shape and size built to precise measurements to create the style of whisky David desires. The spirit is aged in American oak casks, all sourced from Jack Daniels. The 225 litre hogsheads are refashioned into tiny 100 litre barrels, which David believes is the perfect size for whisky maturation in Victoria. Every stage of the process is meticulously monitored to ensure each batch is of the same, consistent high quality. One of the few moments of subjectivity comes when David “makes the cut” during distillation, where his own tastebuds are the best indicator of what spirit will make it into barrels.
I asked David what the future had in store for Bakery Hill, curious as to whether there may be any secret projects or special bottlings in the pipeline. His answer was no. With the demand so high for his current offerings there simply isn’t any spare time or capacity to tie up prescious spirit in experimental whiskies at the moment. David’s current mission is to continue producing the best whisky he can to do his part in helping Australia carve its niche and become a global force in the whisky world. I do know, however, that there are secret blueprints for a second copper pot still hidden away somewhere and, when the time is right, will be used to take Bakery Hill to the next level.
You could argue that David has already achieved his goal of proving the one-eyed Scotch purists wrong. Bakery Hill’s story could sum up Australian whisky industry as a whole – still comparatively young, but were quick to find their feet and are starting to hit their straps. It’s impressive that some Australian whiskies are now being regarded as world class when you consider the Scots have been distilling for centuries, and even Japanese whisky is nearing its 100th anniversary. Increased profile and sales means increased investment back into Australian whisky’s exciting future, and this is an industry truly worth supporting.
David loves a chat, and talks long and passionately about the industry over a cup of coffee. But as the time ticks away he has to stop himself because there is work to be done. However, There is just enough time for a quick sampling before I am whisked back to the train station. I’ve tried David’s range of whiskies a number of times before, but there is no way I am going to turn down the opportunity to have a quick dram of the Doublewood and the Peated Cask Strength.
Bakery Hill Peated Cask Strength 60.1%
Sweet malt and honey notes hit first followed by aromas of tinned pears and vanilla, with gentle peat smoke in the background. A touch of water brings out some cocoa notes. The mouthfilling palate is a bit fiery, with the peat smoke more pronounced. Taming the whisky with a little water brings out honeycomb, cooked apples and spice, with even hints of chilli on the lingering finish. A great whisky, warming and delicious.
Bakery Hill Double Wood 46%
This is David’s pick when he is introducing whisky to the uninitiated. The Double Wood is named so as it combines whisky matured in American Oak and French Oak casks. The result is a smooth whisky with dried fruits, coconut, golden syrup and spice aromas, with sweet cereal notes and spice on the rich palate. Utterly enjoyable stuff.
