Aisling Distillery take home two Icons of Whisky Australia gongs

Michelle and Mark Burns have been recognised on the world stage for their hard work taking home two 'highly commended' gongs at the 2021 Whisky Magazine Icons of Whiskey Australia Awards.

Visitior Attraction of the Year and Distillery Manager of the Year awards are now adorning the Aisling cellar door barely two months since their Heritage Collection single malt whisky hit the market, and the pair couldn't be more thrilled.

"I feel a bit overwhelmed," Mrs Burns, Aisling's owner and distillery manager said.

"I was fairly chuffed to be recognised at such a high standard.

"We've now hit the world stage. We've put Griffith on the map in a major way not only from being a distillery here in the Riverina but also from the attraction side of things."

Aisling's Heritage Collection single malt whiskys have been more than just a business opportunity for the Burns family, who also manufacture distillery equipment for much of the Australian distilling industry. They are the result of years of research into the Burns family ancestry in Scotland and dedication to creating a product to honour that.

"The single malt whisky is Mark giving back to his Scottish heritage. It has taken him back to his roots basically," Mrs Burns explained.

"He's done a lot of soul searching to find out where his roots are and where his family came from.

"So for us as a family, there is a big meaning behind it."

Aisling's whiskys have also made the shortlist for Craft Producer of the Year at the Icons of Whisky Awards and they are quietly confident of their submissions to three more international spirits awards coming up throughout 2021.

"We sent our four gins, the vodka and our single malt whiskys to the London Spirits Competition and we've entered our whiskys the World Spirits Competition in the US," Mrs Burns said.

"We are very confident. It's been aging four and a half years and it's been received extremely well."

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