The oak casks on offer are 30 litre barrels that have been re-sized from larger format European sherry or port barrels which held fortified wines for between 2-10 years.

These barrels were shaved, toasted and moderately charred then filled with a Tasmanian single malt whisky.

Bellarine Distillery has chosen to use second fill barrels that previously aged a spirit, to achieve the best possible spirit maturation profile for the small barrels. The smaller barrel format can often give excessive oak flavour due to the high wood surface area to spirit ratio. A second fill will therefore allow a much gentler and softer maturation profile.

The matured whisky will be filled into our ‘Martinique’ 700ml glass bottles with a black wood top stopper with a copper embossed medallion and a black tamper proof seal.

A 30L barrel may lose, via natural evaporation through the wood, approximately 5 – 10% in spirit volume year on year due to the local climate on the Bellarine Peninsula.

This is known as the ‘Angels Share’ and could be more or less depending on specific climatic factors such as temperature and humidity for each year that the spirit is matured. On average, after 2 years, a 30L barrel may have remaining spirit of approximately 24 - 27 litres and after 5yrs approximately 17 – 23 litres. This is an estimate and could potentially be more or less depending on your Angels!

Our recommendation would be to bottle the spirit at 50-52% alcohol by volume for maximum flavour. This would mean that depending on maturation time, Angels Share and final spirit strength, somewhere between 30 - 50 bottles could be delivered upon maturation completion. The final number of bottles will vary for each barrel.

A Bellarine Distillery label will be applied however you will have the chance to name your whisky which will be hand written on each label. A small unique message can also be included on the back label.

Since 2018 the distillery team has been researching and experimenting with the aroma, taste and mouthfeel of its new make spirit.

We have now achieved a spirit quality which provides a weighty, viscous, melted honey-like mouthfeel. The aroma gives dark fruits such as dried apricots and prunes. On the palate it shows sweet biscuit, cereal malt, dark brown sugar and a long lasting buttery finish. And that’s all before it goes in the barrel!

By modifying yeast, brewing and distillation techniques we have achieved a new make quality which we are extremely proud of and which you can enjoy in your own private barrel.

The casks will be filled with Bellarine Distillery new make whisky spirit at around 64% abv and depending on the barrel and climate will take approximately 2 to 5 years to mature.

The barrels will mature in our distillery barrel warehouse at 2102 – 2120 Portarlington Rd, Drysdale, Victoria.

The product can be delivered to the customer or collected from the distillery any time after 2 years from the fill date up to 5 years. It is highly recommended that the full maturation time and subsequent bottling and delivery date is decided by the customer in consultation with Bellarine Distillery’s Head Distiller. If required a longer maturation can be negotiated with the distillery

You can visit and taste the spirit in your barrel once a year on designated barrel owner visit days with the Head Distillery to discuss maturation progress of your whisky.

You can also take a 50ml sample home each year if desired. If you cannot visit us we will send you the sample with some notes from the Head Distiller.

When your whisky is mature we can organise a courier on your behalf to deliver your bottles (and your barrel if you also decide to purchase the barrel) to your nominated Australian address or by appointment you can collect directly from the distillery. You will also receive 4 x Bellarine Distillery Glencairn whisky tasting glasses.