To celebrate its 100th distilling season, St Agnes Distillery has unveiled the St Agnes XXO 50 Year Old Exceptional Reserve, the oldest bottled spirit ever produced in Australia.

The XXO 50 Year Old Exceptional Reserve was released alongside the XO 30 Year Old Centenary Reserve at the St Agnes 100 year Anniversary event at the National Wine Centre on 9 May. 

The limited release of just 500 bottles will also set a new benchmark as the most expensive Australian spirit with a price tag of $4800.

Crafted from parcels of brandy distilled between 1953 and 1972 and aged in the historic Riverland barrel halls, the limited release honours five generations of distilling excellence at Australia’s oldest family-run distillery.

“This release is the pinnacle of our century-long pursuit of greatness,” said Richard Angove, Co-Managing Director of St Agnes Distillery. 

“When my grandfather Thomas Angove decided to distil incredibly small parcels of exceptional spirit, he wasn’t thinking about today or tomorrow – he was thinking decades ahead. 

“He believed this spirit had the potential to become something truly exceptional, and that’s exactly what happened. We’ve watched and waited, allowing time to do its work, and have been rewarded with an incredible spirit that we can’t wait to share.

“It’s more than just a brandy—it’s a reflection of everything we stand for. This release is both a tribute to the last 100 years and a toast to what’s still to come.”

Founded in 1925 by Carl Angove, St Agnes Distillery celebrated one of its most successful years in 2024. The distillery was named Champion Australian Distiller at the Australian Distilled Spirits Awards and won Best Distilled Spirit at the Royal Sydney and Royal Australian Spirit Awards. 

It also claimed Best Brandy trophies at every major capital city competition and secured gold medals at the prestigious Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition.