From seed to sip
200 hectare property at Scotts Gap.
He grows mostly autumn sown barley and some wheat and speciality crops and runs about 500 sheep which are an important part of the operation.
‘‘To grow good grain we need to have sheep in the system.’’
All the crops are planted in late March through to early April and are usually harvested around New Year although it was delayed a few weeks this year because of the wet weather.
‘‘Growing the crops in autumn suits us here.
‘‘It’s a lot more fun and less stressful to harvest in January as we’re more likely to get a good run of weather.’’
Rob was particularly looking forward to this year’s harvest as it would kick off his commercial whisky operation.
‘‘Our 2020 vintage is about to start and we’re really excited about it.
‘‘Until now a lot of our work has been focused on research and development and getting the distilling process just right.’’
Just 10 per cent of his property is planted out in barley used solely for whisky production while the balance is grown and sold as stock feed.
Rob became interested in producing his own whisky in 2005 after visiting the New Zealand Whisky Company in Oamaru.
‘‘I saw casks of whisky from the 1980s when the farm supplied grain to Wilsons Distillery – somewhere in those casks was our grain.
‘‘I thought it was pretty cool.’’
The seed was eventually planted in 2016 when Rob was invited to take part in Rabobank’s executive development programme in Sydney.
As part of the programme he had to look at options of increasing the profitability of his business.
‘‘I looked at adding a whisky distillery on-farm and to see if it was a viable option, which it was.’’
Rob and Toni also attended several courses on whisky distilling in Tasmania which gave them a good insight into the process.
With the support of his wider family the first crop of barley for whisky production was planted in 2017.
He sourced the seed direct from a plant breeder in the United Kingdom.
As whisky takes a minimum of five years to mature, Rob knows it will take time to create that perfect drop.
‘‘It’s a long process – it’s worse than growing grain,’’ he jokes.
Rob also hoped that whisky distilling would provide a viable option of farm succession for his three young sons.
But, it’s not just whiskey that Rob’s producing on his farm as there will also be a limited release of gin and vodka this spring.
Rob’s first public outing with their whisky was at the Southern Artisan Fete in Lochiel last November.
‘‘People tasted and rated the whisky and it was very well received,’’ Rob said.
Rob has always loved whisky and enjoys nothing more than talking to people about the process that goes into making it.
Auld Distillery is giving people the opportunity to buy a limited-edition foundation cask of whisky made from the 2018 vintage barley harvest.
Only 100 foundation casks of singlepaddock, single malt, single barrel whisky would be released.
People could choose between a personalised 100 litre or 200 litre cask of exbourbon, ex-port or ex-sherry or quality New Zealand pinot noir to suit their taste buds.