Top 10 Distilleries in Tasmania
Tasmania had no commercial whisky production until Bill Lark opened Lark Distillery in 1992, exploiting a legal change to permit small-batch distillation. By 2014, Sullivans Cove had won the World's Best Single Malt at the World Whisky Awards. Today Tasmania has the highest concentration of whisky distilleries per capita on earth.
1. Sullivans Cove, Hobart
Sullivans Cove in Cambridge, near Hobart, became internationally famous when its French Oak cask HH0351 won World's Best Single Malt 2014. The American Oak, French Oak, and Double Cask expressions remain among Australia's most prestigious whiskies. Patrick Maguire's distilling philosophy emphasises small-cask maturation in the cool maritime climate.
2. Lark Distillery, Hobart
Lark Distillery, founded 1992 by Bill Lark, is the spiritual home of Tasmanian whisky. Lark personally lobbied to change the law that had banned small-scale distillation since 1839. The Classic Cask, Para Liqueur Cask, and various Single Cask releases established the Tasmanian style — heavily sherry-influenced, peat-optional, full-bodied.
3. Overeem, Coal River Valley
Overeem Distillery, founded by Casey Overeem and now part of the Lark group, produces highly-allocated single cask whisky from the Coal River Valley. The Port Cask, Sherry Cask, and Bourbon Cask single-barrel releases are essentially the foundation of Tasmanian collector whisky.
4. Hellyers Road, Burnie
Hellyers Road in Burnie on Tasmania's north coast is the largest of the Tasmanian distilleries by capacity. Original, Pinot Noir Finish, Slightly Peated, and Master Series expressions show a more accessible commercial reach than the boutique southern distilleries.
5. Belgrove, Kempton
Belgrove Distillery in Kempton, run by Peter Bignell, is the only rye whiskey distillery in Australia and one of the most uncompromisingly small-scale and artisanal whiskey distilleries in the world. The estate-grown rye, biodiesel-powered still, and small-output rye and other grain releases have built a devoted following.
6. Heartwood (independent bottler)
Heartwood, founded by Tim Duckett, is Tasmania's most influential independent bottler — selecting and bottling single casks at full strength from various Tasmanian distilleries. The Heartwood label has become a collector's mark for cask-strength Tasmanian whisky.
7. Nant, Bothwell
Nant Distillery in Bothwell in the Central Highlands of Tasmania produces estate-grown barley whisky in a historic colonial mill complex. The Bourbon Wood, Port Wood, and Sherry Wood expressions show the cool-highland Tasmanian style.
8. Old Kempton, Kempton
Old Kempton Distillery (formerly Redlands Estate) produces estate whisky from grain grown on the property in Kempton. The expression range emphasises the paddock-to-bottle ethos that characterises much of small-scale Tasmanian whisky.
9. Bakery Hill, Melbourne (mainland)
Bakery Hill, while in Melbourne rather than Tasmania, is included for context: Bakery Hill's David Baker pioneered Australian craft single malt on the mainland and helped establish the broader Australian whisky scene that Tasmania now dominates by reputation.
10. Spring Bay, Spring Beach
Spring Bay Distillery on Tasmania's east coast produces whisky in maritime warehouse conditions. The Sherry Cask, Port Cask, and Bourbon Cask expressions emphasise the maritime maturation that distinguishes east coast Tasmanian whisky from highland and Hobart styles.
Tasmanian whisky in context
Tasmania's success stems from cool maritime climate (slowing maturation similarly to Scotland), abundant peat (used selectively), local sherry-style fortified wine casks (especially Para liqueur casks from McLaren Vale and Tasmanian apera casks), and a craft-scale philosophy where most distilleries operate at boutique volumes. The map shows the geographic concentration around Hobart and the Coal River Valley.
From reading to planning
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