In 2014, Sullivans Cove Distillery of Tasmania won the gong for the World’s Best Single Malt Whisky at the World Whisky Awards. The whisky, from Fench Oak Cask HH0525, was 13 years old. There were just 516 bottles produced and they initially sold for $160.
The achievement marked a new high point for Australian whisky, and, in particular, Tasmanian whisky. For more than 150 years, there were no distilleries in the island state, thanks to legislation that restricted distilling to operations with a minimum still size of around 2700 litres. In the early 1990s, Tasmanians Bill and Lyn Lark campaigned to have the laws changed, allowing boutique operators to obtain distilling licences. They were successful, and the Larks’ operation began in 1992, releasing their first single malt in 1998.
The Sullivans Cove distillery followed in 1994. It was originally located, as the name implies, on Hobart’s waterfront but, after two changes of ownership, was moved to the suburb of Cambridge, near Hobart Airport. A new distiller, Patrick Maguire, took over as the head of distillation and cask selection, and by 2007 the company was receiving international recognition. The 2014 award established Tasmanian whisky as world class. The company went on to win further gold, taking home the world’s best single cask single malt award in both 2018 and 2019.
Sullivans Cove is not the only Tasmanian distiller to claim a world’s best whisky award. In 2019, the Lark Distillery won gold at the London Spirits Competition for their single malt. Many more distilleries followed in the wake of these pioneers and today there are more than 70 operating in Tasmania. They claim the pure water, favourable climate, and prime barley-growing conditions make the local spirit a premium product. And it’s not cheap. High excise rates in Australia, smaller-scale production, labour costs, and the quality of ingredients and processes add to the cost.
The revival of whisky making has proved a tourism boon for Tasmania, with more than 30 distilleries to visit along the “Whisky Trail”. Since 2016, an annual Whisky Week has attracted local and international visitors, with events in the north and the south of Tasmania. It culminates in the Tasmanian Spirits Showcase in Hobart.