Dobson's Distillery

Best way to spend Easter Sunday!!! We have never done a tasting and had no idea what to expect, but this was awesome Steven was awesome with his passion knowledge and stories as where Lyn and his staff and the Gin was next level. An we left with a small haul of products, And the distillery cat was a real cutie.

Have lived in the New England region for many years and have always had the Dobsons on the to do list.
With the slogan being “not for everyone” I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. Having read some reviews that left a rather unsatisfactory impression however, after our experience, I’d have to say the people leaving the poor reviews probably need to get over themselves a tad.
My partner and I (plus the doggo) went there for lunch on Sunday. Food was excellent, the service was great and drinks were just as good.
Very pleased to find it to be dog friendly (just have to let them know prior) and I would recommend a designated driver if you plan on doing a full tasting. We will be back.

An awesome quirky place just outside of Uralla. We had a great tasting and came away with a bottle each of Gin and Whiskey.
Excellent products! The restaurant looks good too...

Incredible. Local produce and homemade condiments, much of which is made in collaboration and flavoured with the distillates and brews of Dobson’s themselves. A beautiful setting, knowledgeable service and a cat who definitely knows his way around a salami. Give these people a hat.

Gin distillery . Cool spot with great tastings. Just off the main road from Armidale - Tamworth. $2 tastings and plenty of gin variants to try. They also have a restaurant here. Parking is limited . Staff friendly. We needed up buying 3 bottles of sweet pea for $80 each. A bit novel

Great hidden gem offering gin, vodka and whiskeys that are fantastic and well explained. You can even get beers here brewed onsite but not available elsewhere - so there is something for everyone!!
Make sure you book in advance for lunches because they’re often booked out - lovely view out over a green outlook. The team is great and you can buy some takeaway bottles of the best choices!

George Bernard Shaw, one of my favourite playwrights, blessed the world with many pearls of wisdom such as:
“Some men see things as they are and ask why. Others dream things that never were and ask why not,” and,
“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.”

And also, a newly discovered favourite: “Whisky is liquid sunshine.”

This latest discovery was made when I visited Dobson’s Distillery (Eastview Estate/Dobson's Distillery) in NSW. “Spectacular” and “enchanting” are the two words left lingering on my palate from this dive into the depths of intellectual and hedonistic delight.

WARNING: If you are not capable of hearing coarse language interspersed with multi-syllabic scientific language and visceral stories about Stephen’s truly fascinating life... don’t go. He isn’t going to stop being himself and the world would be poorer for it if he did.

When reading an article by Kenneth R. Rosen, one line resonated due to its alignment with Stephen: “blurring the lines between craftspeople and biologists, chemists and connoisseurs.”

Stephen is a bit of magic in every regard.

We were left feeling the world was a better place for having this man in it, who not only donates huge amounts to support artists and many humanitarian causes but also cares deeply for all those around him.

Dobson’s Distillery’s staff are seen as family. The high regard Stephen has for his staff is evident in the way he talks about their accomplishments and interests... and his passion for helping them achieve their goals. He’d be a hard boss to beat.

You may notice the many notable awards that sit in the tasting room. These attest to the immense talent Stephen has shown as a cinematographer. He left the industry after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.

This has left him relentlessly, brutally himself (something many of us aspire towards). Some may find this confronting; others will revel in it!

Dobson’s Distillery has created THE BEST whisky and gin my husband and I have ever tasted (we didn’t get to the vodka... that’ll be our next trip)!

A little side note: I generally get allergic reactions to anything that has preservatives in it. I didn’t get ANY reaction (other than a warm glow of delight) from anything I drank at Dobson’s. Huge thumbs up there!

I feel that these musings of mine hardly reveal the true honour it was to both meet Stephen (while being enchanted by the science and wonder within his stories) and sample his deservedly award-winning spirits. It truly felt like meeting a hero I didn’t know existed.

If you want a bit of magic mixed with the best insights into the science of alcohol, sprinkled with a good dash of cheek, this is for you.

Oh, to all those whinging about swearing in front of children... leave them home or teach them that all words serve a purpose and have a “time and place”. The more important thing is to listen to the kindness and intellect offered by this man. He is a great role model and a great man.

Enough of this - just get thee to the distillery!

Nice place and beautiful atmosphere. The food was very good at a reasonable price.
They let you take the food home if you don't finish it, so nothing is wasted.

We absolutely loved Dodson's Distillery.
Please don't drive through Uralla without visiting this amazing Distillery, Restaurant and Staff. And they love animals, so fur babies are welcome on the deck 😍
The platter was fantastic very generous with all homemade and locally grown produce, so come hungry ( restaurant only open weekends)...more than we could eat for the 3 of us but they were more than happy to pack it up for us and it did us for lunch again the next day 😀

The Gin and Whiskeys are amazing and Stephen is an incredible artist, doing all his own signs, labels and art work throughout the bar and restaurant.

Just loved our day here...thank you to all the wonderful staff that made it memorable.

Well worth stopping by Dobsons if you're travelling through the area. Quirky little distillery that's got heaps of character. Gin & Vodka tastes absolutely amazing.

Amazing gins and the tour was interesting. $2 per gin tasting, $3 per whisky. Great beer too. Izzy, who served us, was excellent at her job. Looking forward to heading back for the food.

A great place for lunch on the weekends, make sure you book. The service is always entertaining. Everything is produced with a lot of passion. The Gins are first class!

Go if you love gin! Great customer service and atmosphere. Yummy food.

I went with a big group and we all had a wonderful time. The food was great and the drinks were delicious, which was all enhanced by the welcoming staff and excellent service.
Not just for dropping in on the way somewhere else! Make a dedicated trip!

Dobson's Distillery blew us away from the moment we walked in! this family run distillery has so much heart and character and the gins are downright delectable. likewise, the food still has us salivating -- such generous portions. their Ploughman's Platter is as iconic as their gins! thank you so much to our host Sophie, and the whole team for really making our experience so delightful. we can't wait to go back and take our friends there and we highly recommend spirit and gastronomy lovers visiting the Uralla/Armidale region to set aside a Saturday or Sunday afternoon for Dobson's and have an experience to remember!

I love this place. The products are exceptional and stand alone in their quality. Tina was helpful, friendly, and made me feel absolutely welcome. This place is eclectic in all the right ways and is an experience in and of itself. The whiskeys, gin and coffee liquor was absolutely out of this world. Can't wait to return.

This was a chance find while exploring around Armidale and was well worth the visit. Steve loves what he does and I could listen to him for hours. His passion is contagious and I found myself thoroguhly motivated to try everything he has ever made. The tasting room itself is beautiful and the staff were all wonderful. I will be back.
Don't forget the BBQ sauce on the way out!

What a stunning distillery with an amazing owner showcasing his and his family and staffs abilities. Steven is lots and lots of fun, but his gins and scotch's are world class. He has such a passion, and he is extremely generous with his time to talk about distilling, chemistry, film and travel. What a day at Dobsons Distillery. Amongst the best anywhere in the world we have visited.

Dobson's is extraordinary! Gourmet platters and interesting drinks in a quirky shed conversion. Put it in your diary.

Great place , booked a large group and they were very accomodating. Food was plenty and they packed the rest to go so nothing is wasted.

Gin tasting was fabulous and the view and atmosphere was lovely.