Tasmanian whisky making its mark on the international scene
In an industrial estate on the outskirts of Hobart is a warehouse filled with hundreds of oak barrels. It's the unlikely home of one of Australia's most celebrated whisky distilleries, Sullivans Cove.
In an industrial estate on the outskirts of Hobart is a warehouse filled with hundreds of oak barrels. It's the unlikely home of one of Australia's most celebrated whisky distilleries, Sullivans Cove.
This year, Sullivans Cove shocked the spirits community by beating incumbents from Scotland and Japan to win best single malt whisky at the World Whiskies Awards.
Around the same time, fellow Tasmanian producer Lark Distillery won the top prize for best world whisky at the International Whisky Competition in Chicago. It's a remarkable leap for a state where small-scale whisky distilling was illegal until 1992.
Tasmania was a showcase for all types of small producers long before the artisanal movement became hip. World-class wineries produce delicate pinot noir and roaming grass-fed hormone-free cattle provide beef as well as milk for some of the country's best cheeses.
I’m not trying to copy another whisky… our flavours speak for themselves
It's not a wealthy state, and with so much land-based seasonal work, locals are pushed to find inventive solutions to make money.
