The Whisky List x The Whisky Jury: When Cask Royalty Lands in Australia.

Every so often, the whisky world serves up a partnership that makes you pause mid-pour and grin like you’ve just been handed the keys to the warehouse. The Whisky List’s new role as Australia’s official distributor for The Whisky Jury is exactly that - a direct line from Belgium’s most uncompromising indie bottlers to our glasses, no air miles wasted on mediocrity.

For the uninitiated, The Whisky Jury is not in the business of half-measures. Founded by three Belgian mates with palates as sharp as their candour, they bottle at natural cask strength, without chill filtration or cosmetic colour, and with zero concern for whether the distillery name will impress your Instagram followers. Famous, obscure, old, young - it’s irrelevant. If the whisky sings, it makes the cut. And crucially, they price it so you can actually drink it, not worship it like a museum piece.

This week, founders Jef and Joeri beamed in live from Belgium for a top shelf virtual tasting with The Whisky List - a rare badge reserved for the kind of lineup that could easily claim “tasting of the year.”

True to form, there was no syrupy brand romance - just two gloriously unfiltered whisky nerds pulling back the curtain on their process, their eccentric selection rituals, and the delightful absurdities of whisky world theatre.

Steering the ship with a steady hand (and the occasional knowing grin) was The Whisky List’s own Oliver Maruda, whose moderation kept the conversation equal parts insightful and mischievous. And then, of course, there was the line-up - a frankly outrageous procession of drams that demanded both reverence and refills.

Six drams, each old enough to have secrets… and just loose enough to spill them.

• 2011 Dailuaine 12yo

  
  

  Opens with honeyed brioche and orchard fruit, then sidesteps into fresh herbs - sage and chamomile in particular. Youthful, yes, but with a swagger that says it could happily hold its own in any lineup twice its age.

  
  

• 2009 Caol Ila 13yo

  
  

  All brine, smoke, and lemon oil - like licking sea spray off a warm rock while a campfire crackles nearby. The smoke is assertive but never overbearing, tapering into a peppery, maritime finish.

  
  

• 1997 Deanston 25yo

  
  

  Waxy as polished oak in summer light, threaded with apricot jam and honeycomb. There’s a herbal undercurrent - thyme and heather - that keeps it lively, finishing with a subtle nutty elegance.

  
  

• 1996 Ben Nevis 26yo

  
  

  Textbook Ben Nevis minerality meets candied orange peel and ripe mango. Savoury miso caramel notes add depth, making this a whisky that rewards patience… or at least a very slow sip.

  
  

• 1990 Speyside 33yo

  
  

  Aromas of antique leather and dark chocolate-dipped cherries, backed by espresso and treacle toffee. Oak presence is firm but gentlemanly, letting the fruit and spice lead the conversation.

  
  

• 1989 Islay 34yo

  
  

  A maritime fever dream - peat smoke layered with iodine and dried kelp, lifted by tropical bursts of mango, passionfruit, and lime zest. A finish that lasts long enough to question your life choices - mostly why you didn’t pour a bigger dram.

Not a single wallflower in the line-up. Each dram swaggered in with its own distinct personality, yet all bore that unmistakable “no compromise” hallmark that makes The Whisky Jury such a cult obsession.

This wasn’t some polite box-ticking exercise - it was six gloriously unruly spirits practically daring you to resist them.

The inaugural shipment of Whisky Jury bottlings is now steaming towards Australia, and if this tasting was any omen, they’ll evaporate from shelves faster than a shared bottle at last call. And yes - Jef and Joeri will return. Because when the liquid’s this good and the raconteurs this delightfully unfiltered, a single encounter simply won’t do.

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Words by AW.

Photos courtesy of The Whisky List and The Whisky Jury.