The Cape Byron Distillery is nestled amongst coastal rainforest in the Byron hinterland of New South Wales. Australia’s most easterly point, with the powerful Pacific Ocean to the east and an ancient volcanic mountain range to the west. A distinctive and richly subtropical intersection of elements unlike any other place on earth. This is where rainforest meets the sea.
Cape Byron Whisky is born from a formidable partnership, co-created by Eddie Brook and Jim McEwan—one of the world's most awarded distillers (known for his distilling at Bruichladdich, Bowmore and The Botanist Gin). It was poetic insight from both Eddie and Jim that sparked our design thinking. Eddie’s deep and passionate knowledge of the region. Jim’s lifelong expertise of whisky making who describes the maturing Cape Byron Whisky as taking on “the colour of a Byron Bay sunset”.
Aged in the heart of the rainforest, the barrel aging warehouse incorporates a living wall that naturally draws in cool air from the rainforest floor at night to keep the barrels temperate. This is an industry-first innovation that creates natural energy-free cooling and allows the terroir to have its full influence.
Cape Byron Whisky is shaped by terroir and the packaging captures this true sense of place. The distillery is situated on a south-east facing hillside with the iconic Wollumbin (aka Mt Warning) to the north-west as the dominant landmark of the vista at the distillery entrance. True to Jim’s description, the liquid itself creates the natural strobe of a striking sunset over Wollumbin’s summit in the bespoke bottle shoulder. In the foreground, our verdant green label captures the thriving depths of the lush, misty rainforest.
One of the most anticipated whisky releases of 2022, Cape Byron achieves an alluring balance of innovation and respect for the traditional process in both whisky making approach, and its branding and packaging.