The story of Chief’s Son is one of passion and perfection. It is a tale of a long family history coupled with astute attention to the smallest detail. It is also a lesson in patience.
Owned by Stuart and Naomi McIntosh, Chief’s Son has been producing award-winning, hand-made Australian single malt whisky from their small batch distillery on the Mornington Peninsula for a decade. But it takes time to produce good whisky and while the distillery was established in 2013, Chief’s Son whiskies have only been available for purchase since 2019.
A deep sense of history is a pervasive theme at Chief’s Son. The name itself is derived from their surname, McIntosh, which translates Mhic an Tóisich – Son of the Chief – in Scottish Gaelic. “Our family has a long history of distilling in Scotland and now in Australia,” said Stuart. “Both sides of the McIntosh family line have been producing whisky from as far back as 200 years ago.”
Our family has a long history of distilling in Scotland and now in Australia
Reflecting on their family roots, deciding to establish Chief’s Son was a natural progression. “Naomi and I had run a ‘test bed’ and produced fantastic results,” said Stuart. “From there it was a matter of looking at it from a business point of view and seeing whether there was a commercial proposition for what we produce. Now, ten years later, three generations of our family are true malt whisky custodians, crafting the many components that forge each unique drop.”
Chief’s Son Distillery has hit on a winning formula of producing an “occasion” whisky that is unique from other offerings in the market. “We fundamentally believed that if we always did what was best for the whisky, we would develop something truly special,” said Stuart. “We have developed products that we believe in. And there is truth in our journey. A level of authenticity that makes a connection between ourselves and our customer.”
The proof of their passion for excellence is the host of awards they have earned over the last couple of years. They took home five silver medals from the 2024 World Whiskies Awards and have earned gold medals at the Melbourne Royal Australian Distilled Spirit Awards and the World Spirits Competition held in San Franscisco.
Chief’s Son has built a strong following across the country of true whisky aficionados and is heading into 2025 with two bold new whisky releases.
“We’re delighted to announce the launch of Forge,” said Naomi. “It is a groundbreaking, sub $100, single malt whisky that we think has the potential to reshape the Australian whisky landscape.” Forge, which retails for $96, is a “refined expression” of the Chief’s Son 900 standard recipe, matured in second-fill 100 litre French oak casks. The second-fill maturation softens the oak influence, resulting in a smooth, well-balanced and very approachable spirit.
“Forge is fast gaining attention across the country. Something we’re very proud of as a peninsula-based business,” said Naomi. “Forge has recently been named in the Australian Financial Review’s ‘Max Allen’s top 20 drinks of the year’ and we are the only whisky to make it onto that list, so it is a great validation of our decision to produce this whisky.”
Another proud achievement for Chief’s Son is the release of their 2024 Distiller’s Select single malt whisky. “This is a very special, limited release bottling, hand selected to reveal the most exciting and unique styles and finishings of whisky,” said Naomi. “This whisky has been chosen for its unparalleled purity and exceptional character. Crafted from premium sweet malts and meticulously distilled with high cuts, this spirit has been matured in rich French oak muscat casks, resulting in a clean and smooth profile.”
Distiller’s Select has been produced after the team at Chief’s Son identified and worked with some exceptional casks, deserving of special treatment. With patience and precision, that whisky has been honed into what is now a very limited release of just 300 bottles. “We really hope that true aficionados get to try this whisky.
We are very proud of it,” said Naomi.
Chief’s Son is located at 25/50 Guelph Street, Somerville. The distillery door is currently open for takeaway sales and whisky tastings and tours.
chiefsson.com.au