Discover these eight newly reviewed spirits each rated 92+ points

If you haven't heard the news yet (and if not, where have you been?), Halliday is now reviewing spirits! That means that, in addition to us releasing hundreds of new scores and tasting notes for Australian and New Zealand wines each week, the new spirits Tasting Team have been hard at work reviewing whisky, gin, brandy, amaro and more.

Below, we're highlighting eight new spirits recently reviewed by spirits Tasting Team members Fred Siggins and Jess Clayfield. Take, for instance, the 97-point liqueur from Marionette that "discerning Australian bartenders reach for," as Fred says. Or, try the 93-point Oceanic Gin from Merritt Distilling that Jess describes as having "an intoxicating juxtaposition between sweet and salty."

You can read the full reviews below and click through to shop these spirits on their distillery websites.

Marionette Apricot Brandy Liqueur

Products labelled 'apricot brandy' are, in fact, mostly liqueurs, and Marionette’s version is no exception. But while most commercial versions are made on a base of cheap neutral grain spirit, this product is made from genuine South Australian grape brandy, steeped with Australian apricots, re-distilled and then barrel aged. This is apricot liqueur the hard way. Apricot liqueur is a fundamental cocktail ingredient utilised in the recipe of countless mixed drinks. These days, discerning Australian bartenders reach for Marionette’s version, with less sugar and more natural flavour than most imported options. The deeply perfumed aroma of apricots greets the nose here, velvety and inviting, without a hint of artificial flavour or aggressive sweetness. Excellent acidity on the palate shows restraint with sugar. Miles above the commercial stuff with a clean, crisp finish that’s anything but cloying. Why make a cocktail? I’d be happy swigging this right from the bottle. – Fred Siggins

500ml | RRP $60 | Shop this liqueur

St Agnes XO 20 Year Old Imperial

We’re getting to the pointy end of St Agnes now, and the extra five years of age on this brandy will set you back an additional $120 over the XO, but 20-year-old Australian spirits are as rare as hen’s teeth and we’re still at a comparable price to imported French brandies of a similar age. There’s more oak on the nose here, but it's still beautifully integrated and light. Less perfumed than the XO 15, there’s a wonderful crème brûlée creaminess and that excellent note of orange peel now developing into orange-oil wood polish. I often find Cognac on the thin and over-oaked side, where this still has all the fruit texture you want to back up that oakiness, especially on the wonderful, powerful front palate that fades to creamy oak. An outstanding brandy by any measure. Take that, France! – Fred Siggins

700ml | RRP $265 | Shop this brandy

St Agnes XO 30 Year Old Centenary Reserve

At 55% alcohol, the Centenary Reserve has a lot more punch than St Agnes’ other brandies. Still, they’ve chosen less active casks here as the orange peel sweetness is far more apparent than oak on the nose, which is super cool for a spirit so old, especially when so many Aussie spirits are over-oaked at a 10th of this age. Whisky makers take note! The alcohol does present a bit of a barrier to nuance on the nose, but there’s still toasted almond and mint ice cream to be found. The entry on the palate is incredible, with big, warm, marmalade sweetness. Where the high alcohol hides some things on the nose, it explodes them across the tongue. This is my favourite palate of any St Agnes I’ve tried. The finish is still gentle with that hallmark St Agnes creaminess, and the fact that they can bottle at 55% without any burn is awe-inspiring. Remarkable. – Fred Siggins

700ml | RRP $750 | Shop this brandy

Marionette Orange Curaçao

Orange-flavoured liqueurs like Cointreau, triple sec and curaçao (which are all interchangeable to a certain extent) are some of the world’s most important cocktail ingredients, appearing in countless classics like the Cosmo and the Margarita. Marionette’s Orange Curaçao, made with Seville, Navel and Blood oranges sourced from a single farmer in Mildura, is their flagship product, and it offers Australian bartenders an alternative to imports. The nose here is rich and multilayered, the various orange varieties playing beautifully with the spirit for a fresh rather than candied orange peel aroma. At 32%, this has more grip through the palate than most liqueurs, relying on well-integrated alcohol rather than sugar to carry the orange oils through the long finish without cloying. If you drink Cointreau on the rocks, this is a must-try. A wonderful product that shows why Marionette is Australia’s premier modern maker of fruit liqueurs. – Fred Siggins

500ml | RRP $60 | Shop this liqueur

Starward Two-Fold Wheat & Single Malt Whisky

The last time I checked the numbers, this was Australia’s highest-selling locally-produced whisky by a wide margin. Why? Put simply, price and availability. As Australia’s first modern blended whisky, it’s also a watershed product, ending 30 years of high-priced, low-volume whiskies and finally putting something affordable on the shelf. A blend of Australian wheat whisky from Manildra and Starward single malt, Two-Fold is matured in Aussie red wine casks for a rich, fruity nose that’s not at all thin or vodka-y as many blends can be, with almost perfect integration of cask and grain. I’ve mistaken this for single malt more than once. Light on the palate with no rough edges but with enough oak to give it some real length, it’s a masterclass in blending that belies its cost. Two-Fold is to whisky what Cooper’s Pale is to beer: inexpensive, easy to find, uniquely Australian, versatile and ultimately delicious. – Fred Siggins

700ml | RRP $65 | Shop this whisky

Merritt Distilling Oceanic Gin

Made from a base spirit of chardonnay, this gin is heavily perfumed with wafts of yeasty banana. Characteristically, gins with alternative base spirits produced on smaller stills have these heady banana esters. Once they blow off, the nuance of the botanicals can shine through. This gin has a potent floral aroma, with a salty iris quality; it's an intoxicating juxtaposition between sweet and salty. The bright, grassy notes of camomile and coastal daisy – also called 'native rosemary' – brighten up the front palate of the gin. Not overtly juniper-forward, with warmer spice notes carrying a woody flavour. The base spirit is present throughout the drinking experience; it comes back around on the finish with warm sandalwood notes carrying through. – Jess Clayfield

700ml | RRP $85 | Shop this gin

Archie Rose Bone Dry Gin

Opening with a brisk, clean juniper aroma, like the scent of freshly crushed pine needles on a crisp winter morning. There's a hint of lemonade icy pole, too, a flavour often associated with lemon gum, which helps to make the juniper more inviting and cues whisps of nostalgia. This gin hits the 'dry' mark without feeling arid or overwhelming by keeping the botanical profile pared back and relying on different citrus elements. The considered use of each ingredient lifts the resinous juniper and complements it. Dried coriander seed does a lot of heavy lifting for the drier elements, but the slight astringency from finger lime creates flashes of intricacy that allude to an incredibly considered production. Most certainly a gin for a classic gin lover. – Jess Clayfield

700ml | RRP $79 | Shop this gin

The Canberra Distillery Summer Gin

A robust whiff of syrupy, fresh passionfruit out of the gate on this gin, blows off after a moment but settles into a sweet, honied fruit salad and a heady coffee, chocolate nose. The gin itself, heavy with fruit botanicals, still retains an element of gin at its core; it takes a background role, supporting the fruits, but the juniper is still present throughout. A difficult achievement for such an extreme flavour profile. All the botanicals work cohesively in this gin, with not one overly standing out over another. Bringing up the rear are the moreish, dried botanicals, leaning into this piney, myrtle quality reinvigorates the palate and keeps it from getting flabby with all the fruit. This gin is ultimately fun and unserious, but incredibly well executed and shows some excellent understanding of distillation with fruit. – Jess Clayfield

500ml | RRP $68 | Shop this gin

Shop the spirits

Marionette Apricot Brandy Liqueur | St Agnes XO 20 Year Old Imperial | St Agnes XO 30 Year Old Centenary Reserve | Marionette Orange Curaçao | Starward Two-Fold Wheat & Single Malt Whisky | Merritt Distilling Oceanic Gin |  Archie Rose Bone Dry Gin | The Canberra Distillery Summer Gin

Top image credit: Marionette

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