The Ben Buckler Single Malt Whisky

Distillery: Corowa Distilling Co., New South Wales, Australia
Collaboration: The one and only Larry Emdur (yes, the Gold Logie-winning king of The Chase Australia and The Morning Show)
ABV: 40%
Maturation: Ex-bourbon and ex-tawny port barrels
Price Point: Around AUD $95 (700ml)
Score: 8.5/10

Come on down! You’ve just won a bottle of The Ben Buckler – no hot seat required, no pesky Chasers breathing down your neck, just pure Larry Emdur magic in liquid form.

Back in 2020, our favourite grinning TV legend rocked up to Corowa Distilling Co. with a classic bucket-list whim: “Mate, I want my own whisky for the mates and family before I hit 60.” What started as a cheeky private batch turned into an absolute ripper when head distiller Beau Schilg and Larry nailed a flavour so bloody good they bottled it for the rest of us. Named after the wild, wave-pounded headland at North Bondi where Larry grew up surfing, dodging blue-ringed octopus, and apparently dreaming even bigger dreams – this is Bondi in a bottle, with a splash of Riverina heat.

Distilled in a restored 1920s flour mill on the Murray (bought by the distillery for a literal buck – true story), the extreme Aussie climate has fast-tracked the maturation and pumped up the flavour like Larry pumps up the crowd.

Nose: Big, warm hug of caramel, vanilla custard, and dried fruits from the tawny port casks. A sneaky whisper of sea salt and coastal brine sneaks in – you can almost hear the Icebergs swimmers screaming.

Palate: Silky, sweet, and dangerously drinkable. Honeyed malt up front, then toffee apple, dark chocolate, and Christmas cake spices. The savoury side kicks in beautifully: toasted oak, roasted nuts, a touch of earthiness, and that signature Aussie tannin grip. At 40% it’s built for session sipping, not intimidation.

Finish: Medium-long, clean, sweet fading to dry oak and a faint salty kiss.

This is no ‘celebrity gimmick’, the juice is legit. Gold at the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and Silver at the Melbourne Royal? The judges clearly locked in the correct answer.

The Ben Buckler has a place as “the people’s champ”: fun, approachable, and packed with personality – exactly like the man himself.

Grab one, pour it over a big rock (Larry’s preferred serve), crank some summer tunes, and toast to the fact that sometimes the best prizes in life really do come on down.

Recommended for: Barbecues, boat days, beating The Chaser, or just proving Australian whisky can be world-class without acting all serious about it.