Old dog new tricks: Introducing the first single malt from Robbers Dog Distillery
There is a new contender in the South Australian single malt whisky space, and as it turns out, the state’s most-robbed bank still has more gold to give. 204 bottles worth to be exact. This is the story of how husband-and-wife duo Rob and Cath cracked the code at the former Bank SA site.
The debut whisky released by Robbers Dog Distillery is Split Wood – a single-barrel, grain-to-glass bottling made using barley grown locally in Mount Pleasant, malted in the Barossa, and then mashed and fermented in the Adelaide Hills before returning to the distillery for distillation. It was then laid down to rest for 2.5 years in a French oak pinot noir barrel from the Barossa resized to 120 litres and fitted with American oak heads – hence the name.
“The name’s simple: it’s split wood,” says co-founder and distiller Rob Davies. “Two different oaks in one barrel, French and American. We broke the rules a bit and it worked.”
Only 204 bottles were produced in the distillery’s first production run, with Rob describing it as “the most local whisky we could possibly make” and “a true regional South Australian whisky.”
Only 204 bottles of the single-barrel release were made
For Cath Davies, the release of Split Wood Whisky is not only a milestone for the distillery but another chapter in the building’s second life, which is infamously South Australia’s most-robbed bank after being repeatedly targeted during the Bicycle Bandit’s decade-long spree.
“The old bank building had character in spades, so we could also see its potential,” she said. “Robbers Dog has never been about being the biggest distillery. It was about creating an experience that feels authentic to who we are and where we come from.”
Rob and Cath founded Robbers Dog Distillery in 2019
Split Wood Whisky is exclusively available direct through Robbers Dog Distillery, either at the cellar door or online. This is a strictly limited single-barrel release, with only 204 produced, each bottled at 46.2% ABV.
Each of the 204 bottles is available for $129 per 700ml.
