AFTER storming the gin world with its nationally-awarded Epoch range, boutique Orange-district distillery Jones & Smith is hoping to do the same with its first whisky release.
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Tony Jones and daughter Kylie Smith, who own and run Jones & Smith with respective partners Dot and Nic, this week unveiled the distillery's single malt whiskies, which have been aging for more than four years at the company's Spring Hill base.
The family had planned to release the whisky, which began the aging process when the distillery was established in 2017, at some stage after the mandated two-year cask period but when COVID-19 struck, they changed their plans.
"Just over COVID we thought we'd leave it a bit longer and let it mature a bit longer," Mr Jones said.
They now have two flavour styles to offer after sourcing American oak and French oak casks from overseas.
"They might use them for 20 or 30 years with bourbon or sherry in them," Mr Jones said explaining that after arriving in Australia, the casks are reconditioned and recharred before brokers pass them on depending on the flavour profiles requested.
"So once [the casks] are reshaved on the inside you get your flavours from the timber and what was in it before, and of course the aging conditions," he said adding bourbon and sherry were popular styles.
"It can start right back from the type of malted barley you use," Ms Smith said, commenting on flavour.
She said Jones & Smith starts its whisky process from scratch.
"We use a few different kinds of malted barley and we made our own recipe, and even the type of yeast you use, the quality of water source you have ..."
The Spring Hill rain water, which they collect off the roof of their distillery, was also a critical factor in the quality for Jones and Smith.
"The water that we use is perfect water. We have 90,000 litre rainwater tank we use and it goes through two massive big filters and a blue ray thing to make sure it's perfect. It's the only thing that touches our whisky and gin," Mr Jones said.
"Where else would you want to source your water from."
Staying true to the distillery's motto "It's about believing in what you are doing and enjoy who you are doing it with", Jones & Smith wants its whisky debut to bring people together after the separation forced by lockdowns, and have packaged it accordingly.
"Because this was our first release we wanted to do something special," Ms Smith said explaining the two flavours will be launched in a twin-box set with two leather coasters and two glasses.
"I think we kind of thought that over the last two years we've lost a bit of time socialising and getting out and about ... so the idea is about getting together."
Central West whisky drinkers will have an opportunity to taste the Jones & Smith's whisky products at this weekend's Dubbo Whisky Festival while in Orange, a ticketed launch will be held at Kate Jones @ One Nineteen in a fortnight.
The box-set, which contains the French Oak Skerry Cask and the American Oak Bourbon Cask, is $395 and can be purchased online at www.jonesandsmithdistillery.com.au
Despite being a young company, Jones & Smith scored big at last year's Australian Gin awards, including its Epoch Sloe Gin taking out the overall flavoured gin category.
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