Husk Farm Distillery—best known for its premium Australian rums—is releasing Sidetrack 8 Malt Whisky, a six-year-old limited collaboration with Gold Coast craft brewery Black Hops.

The Sidetrack story began in 2018 when William “Buzz” Hutchinson—the recently retired Head Distiller of Cardhu Distillery in Scotland, the Speyside powerhouse behind Johnnie Walker—visited NSW’s Northern Rivers to help commission Husk’s custom-built 6000L Forsyth copper pot still, hand-forged in Scotland.

Someone asked the obvious question: “Why not make a barrel of whisky while you’re here?” What followed was one barrel, a dozen lessons, and the beginning of something unexpected.

That experiment became Sidetrack Stone Whisky – the first release in the series, made with Stone & Wood and released in June 2025. Now, 8Malt Whisky continues the story.

Black Hops developed an exclusive eight-malt mash bill for this release—a complex recipe that forms the flavour foundation of the whisky. The mash bill contains a heavy barley base complimented by some rye for subtle spicy notes and wheat for extra smoothness.

After fermentation at Black Hops, Husk distilled the wash, then filled freshly emptied Husk Rum barrels that had previously held their award-winning rum. The whisky then aged for six years in the Northern Rivers sub-tropical climate.

Husk Distillers CEO Quentin Brival said: “You only do a collaboration like this if both sides bring something real. Black Hops brought boldness and creativity to the mash bill, and Husk brought the distilling expertise, Rum cask influence and patience to turn it into something genuinely distinctive.” says Quentin Brival, CEO of Husk Distillers.

Black Hops Cayle Lutas said: “At Black Hops, we’re obsessed with flavour. Our philosophy has always been that if you want to create something exceptional, you have to invest in the ingredients and never cut corners when it comes to building depth, balance and complexity.

“That’s what made this collaboration with Husk so exciting. We had the opportunity to develop a mash bill designed purely around flavour and then watch it evolve through six years of careful maturation. The result is a whisky that reflects the shared commitment of both teams to craftsmanship, patience and creating something genuinely distinctive.”

Only 1000 individually numbered bottles of Sidetrack 8 Malt Whisky have been produced, RRP $95. Available from Husk Farm Distiller cellar door, huskdistillers.com and selected independent retailers from 30 June 2026.