Whipper Snapper Distillery’s Upshot Red Corn Whiskey named ‘best in the world’ at London presentation

An Australian-first whiskey made with vibrant red corn from WA’s Ord Valley has been named the best in the world at a ceremony in London, just one year after it was commercially released. Whipper Snapper Distillery’s Upshot Red Corn Whiskey — the key ingredient of which is sourced from Kununurra horticulturalist Christian Bloecker — won the title at the World Whiskey Awards late last month. It was the latest boon for the award-winning Perth-based distillery well-known for pushing the envelope with its offerings, after recently also releasing a single origin rye whiskey made with rye from the Fuchsbichlers’ farm at Bruce Rock. Whipper Snapper co-founder and head distiller Jimmy McKeown, general manager Ryan Wilson and chair Chris Malcolm attended the prestigious presentation gala dinner at Merchant Taylor’s Hall on March 30 to accept the award. Mr McKeown said it had been a large-scale competition with more than 1500 entries from across the globe across several categories. He said it was a “huge achievement” for the small distillery to take out the international gong, after beating some of the world’s biggest whiskey distilleries including Heaven Hill in Kentucky. “This is a bigger category, in terms of popularity and global awareness the biggest ones are single malt, bourbon and corn,” he said. “It is huge to have taken this out, especially as a country that doesn’t produce a lot of corn. “The result really puts Australian whiskey on the stage, and not just for single malt which we are best known for. “It proves Australian whiskey can be many different things ... and shows the benefit of sourcing local grain to create good whiskey.” While pumpkins and melons are the main crops at Mr Bloecker’s 1100ha Bothkamp property, he teamed with Whipper Snapper to plant an heirloom variety of red corn in 2018 before the first lot was released in February last year. It was the first red corn whiskey released in Australia. “I think it is amazing for a small distillery, based in WA, to win an award like this ... and also amazing recognition for Jimmy as the head distiller,” Mr Bloecker said. “To see Ord-grown corn on the global stage is fantastic too. “For what started out as a thought bubble to end up as the world’s best whiskey is a great result.” Red corn was popular with American moonshiners in the early 1900s but had nearly disappeared by the early 2000s before the corn made a resurgence in the US. After handpicking the first Ord Valley crop and replanting the best seeds across 1ha, Mr Bloecker harvested 10 tonnes of red corn in October 2019 and transported it 3000km to Whipper Snapper’s Perth distillery. After milling, fermentation and distilling, the red corn spirit was aged in oak barrels for more than two years, before the whiskey was ready for consumption. Mr Bloecker, who lives next door to the Ord Valley’s Hoochery Distillery and considers rum his drink of choice, was also pleased with the final product. “For a rum drinker, it is a very nice whiskey to drink,” he joked. Mr McKeown said the red corn product was “incredibly different” to the Yellow Corn Whiskey, with more of a spice note. “It is much nuttier and sweeter and we get this distinctive old English toffee note out of it our other whiskeys don’t have,” he said. “That really sets it apart, the palate is delectable and so tasty.” Mr Bloecker has been partnering with Whipper Snapper Distillery for the past eight years, producing yellow corn for its flagship Upshot Australian Whiskey. The popular product was named best international corn whiskey by the American Distilling Institute and best Australian corn whiskey at the 2017 World Whiskies Awards. In recent years, Mr Bloecker has also produced a crop of rainbow corn, which was sent to Whipper Snapper and barrelled in December 2022 for the creation of another new whiskey to be released in December next year. The most recent award comes as Whipper Snapper Distillery releases the final four barrels — totalling 900 bottles — from the first batch of the Upshot Red Corn Whiskey first released in February last year. Each will be hand signed by master distiller Mr McKeown.