Young Henrys might be one of Sydney, Australia’s most talked about craft breweries at the moment, but now the Newtown outfit is making waves with a “new” 18 Year Old Australian Single Malt Whisky, dubbed Ramblin Man. Previously, the brand stepped into spirits with Noble Cut craft gin.
Despite being less than a decade old, Young Henrys has somehow managed to release an 18 Year Old Australian whisky. But how? The answer lies in the Newtown community and local Bill Claydon. Bill Claydon was a motorcyclist for the Australian Navy, an avid whisky lover and Newtown local. 21 years ago, he acquired two casks of freshly distilled Tasmanian Whisky (Barrel numbers 492 & 493), one for each of his children. Following his passing, Claydon’s son Tim Claydon (then-owner of iconic Newtown venue The Vanguard and close friend of YH) approached Young Henrys in hopes of the Whisky to see the light of day as a bottled, stand-alone product.
Loving the uniqueness of the opportunity, Young Henrys co-founders Oscar McMahon and Richard Adamson booked an adventure to Tasmania with Tim who, from a Hobart hotel room, coined the name Ramblin Man for the whisky after one of Bill’s favourite Hank Williams songs.
First distilled and barrelled in Tasmania in 2000, the Australian whisky was transported to Newtown in mid 2016. At Young Henrys headquarters, the it was transferred into Australian Apera Sherry casks, spending it’s final years ageing before it was bottled by hand in November 2018.
“Ramblin Man has been a really interesting and unique project for us and has now spanned many years,” said McMahon. “It is such a pleasure to have been able to work with such a refined and beautiful spirit, especially when there is the added weight of a family story intertwined. I am really happy that the two barrels of this Whisky are now married and will shortly be seeing the light of day.”
Just 381 bottles of Young Henrys Ramblin Man have been made available for purchase and are priced at $450 each. Head over to the distillery’s online store to purchase.
