The arrival of a bold and daring rye whisky aims to stir up the dark spirits category this summer with a fresh and innovative take on one the world’s favourite spirits. Buckley’s Rye Whisky is the debut offering from Sydney based company Crafty Buggers, and if you’ve grown weary of the same old summer beverages, perhaps it’s time you wrapped your laughing gear around a Buckley’s Rye & Dry with fresh lime – a versatile drink ideal for sharing at home with friends, at a party, or a night out on the town.
Hugh Roxburgh, Crafty Buggers founder and the man behind Buckley’s says “I wanted to create a whisky that is new and exciting, that not only better reflects modern day Australia but also brings to life the incredible true story of William Buckley.” He adds “our aim is to define a new category with a flavour profile that is new and exciting but not too dissimilar to what people are familiar with – this is a whisky after all.”
The launch of Buckley’s Rye Whisky in Australia couldn’t have come at a more opportune moment, with rye whisky currently the spirit on everyone’s lips. It’s with good reason that Jim Murray, the world-renowned whisky critic, has nominated a rye whisky as his ‘World Whisky of the Year’ four out of the last seven years.
“Rye whisky has an incredible flavour,” says Roxburgh. “It was originally the base spirit for many cocktails before prohibition – the Old Fashioned, the Manhattan, the Sazerac, the Brooklyn, the Boulevardier. It was also the first whisky drunk in Australia – it was brought here from the US on a trading ship “The Hope” by Benjamin Page in 1792.”
Aged for a minimum of two years in charred new American oak barrels, Buckley’s Rye Whisky is an incredibly smooth rye whisky with rich vanilla and caramel notes that perfectly complement the subtle spiciness of the dry rye.
So now you know the drink, but just who in the hell is William Buckley? We’re glad you asked.
William Buckley was a convict with a disdain for authority. Refusing to surrender his freedom, in 1803 he absconded from the doomed Port Phillip settlement into unforgiving bushland. His chances of survival? Buckleys!
Exhausted and starving after weeks of wandering, he happened upon a spear marking a grave. In a fortuitous twist, the Wathaurong tribe believed Buckley to be a reincarnation of the spear’s owner – the great warrior Murrangurk.
The tribe adopted Buckley as one of their own and he lived among them for some 32 years, earning the apt title of “The Wild White Man.” Buckley remerged 32 years later – bold, fearless and full of character – just like the rye whisky that bears his name.
Buckley’s Rye Whisky is available through Paramount, Gateway, Boozebud and Dan Murphy’s Online. For more information contact Buckley’s Rye Whisky at:
hugh@buckleysryewhisky.com.au
Instagram/Facebook: @BuckleysRyeWhisky
buckleysryewhisky.com.au
