Wine built Australian whisky – the wineries that distil, the collaborations that define the national style, and where the same grape-and-grain bond shows up worldwide.

Australia didn't back into whisky by accident. Almost everything a distiller needs, this country happens to have – and one advantage in particular is close to unfair.

This is a list of the Australian whiskies that have beaten the world – winning World's Best titles and global category wins – and of the distilleries that built The Australian whisky industry.

Australia can make whisky exactly like bourbon. It just can't call it that. Here's the reason – and what "bourbon-style" is actually promising you.

The honest answer isn't greed, or small casks, or hype. It's a tax most drinkers have never heard of – one that rises twice a year, and hits the bottle in your hand harder than almost anywhere on earth.