Just off the coast of Victoria, Australia, a little island hovers southeast to the mainland, and that's Tasmania, where nature reigns supreme and the microclimate there is as pure as it gets, at least where Earth is concerned. Whilst the truth is that if you ask anyone what Tasmania's like, they're likely to paint you a verdant image of lush greenery, mountain ranges and pristine beaches, perhaps toss in a Tasmanian Devil and a wombat or two, and that sounds good, but that's really missing something pretty big - and that's that the island is also home to some incredibly warm and big hearted, very passionate folks, and some of them make world renowned whiskies.

And much can be said about what makes Tasmanian whiskies unique - that the island itself possesses all the ingredients it needs to make whisky, from local barley to even native peat bogs, or that it has access to high quality local fortified wine (called Apera, and is a local style of Sherry) casks, and obviously the distinct temperate maritime climate that supports really long ageing of the whiskies in casks, and many more - but I'd argue that what makes it so distinct is the culture and philosophy of distilling in Tasmania.

Rather unlike most other whisky-producing regions, Tasmania neither has a longstanding, continuous history of distilling, nor major corporations getting into it when it first started - which for that matter we can largely attribute to the work of Bill and Lyn Lark, who are of course the founders of Lark Distillery! Whilst many new whisky geographies and distilleries really began emerging in the 2010’s as the whisky market began to seriously pick up, Tasmania had instead got its start already in the early 1990’s, with the floodgates opening when the Lark’s had helped to repeal prohibitive regulations that made it difficult for producers to get into whisky distilling. Up till that point, commercial whisky distilling was scant and not quite above board regulations wise, with the last official distilled whiskies being made on the island in 1839, which meant an over 150 year dry spell.

As the now near mythicized story goes, Bill had been trout fishing with his father-in-law when he had connected the dots between his father-in-law having brought a flask of Scotch for the trip and the fact that Tasmania had all the best ingredients needed to make whiskies, and thus went back and together with his wife came to conclude that maybe there was a gap they could fill. As with many great bursts of exciting ideas, the reality set in quick that not only did they have to get the laws amended, but also they knew nothing about making whiskies! That’s when a most serendipitous event would happen - they would receive a call from John Grant of the famed Glenfarclas Scotch distillery, who would offer them advice on how to make whiskies, having concluded that if folks Down Under were going to try whiskies for the first time, and that it would come from the Lark’s, even if it wasn’t Glenfarclas’, he had hoped that it would be a great first experience for these new would-be whisky lovers!

The many faces of Lark's success; (Left) Bill Lark with distiller Chris Thomson, (Top-Right) John Grant of Glenfarclas Distillery, (Bottom-Right) Lyn and Bill Lark. 

And so when Bill and Lyn Lark, who had been in the land surveying practice up till that point, began making whiskies proper, the scene was small, tight knit, and quality focused. Because if you were going to quit your day job and steady salary for something completely unknown at the time, it’d make little sense to not give it your best shot! And so, whiskymaking in Tasmania (later expanding to mainland Australia) had gotten off to a unique footing where everything about it was about quality and not quantity - or as they say is the secret recipe, “doing things that don’t scale”. Everything was handcrafted, with much attention paid to the details, high quality wash from a famed local brewery, extended fermentation times, local fortified wine casks the sort that was renowned the world over, small barrels to maximise maturation, long ageing, and a constant pursuit of the best quality, with also much experimentation in the process of doing so.

This would go on for years, with the Lark’s for a long period of time working out of a little shed, only selling their whiskies and local markets, and not even getting shelf space and local retailers till some time later. And piece by piece they would grow alongside their expertise and quality that was rapidly improving.

The Lark classic range - our reviews here!

By the time a Tasmanian whisky would fatefully be crowned the world’s best single malt in 2014 (which the Lark’s certainly had a hand in), the local scene had already some two decades of experience under its belt and had knew full well the amazing whiskies they had on their hands - it was just a matter of time that the world would catch on.

The Tasmanian and broader Australian whisky scene has certainly since those early days in the 90’s, and yet till this day if you ask anyone in the Land Down Under, all whiskies, stories and the people behind them will inevitably point you to that one pioneering touchstone - that is, of course, Lark. Likely no other family has done more for Tasmanian and Australian distilling than them, through their willingness to roll up their sleeves, mentor, and be an ambassador for what I dare call the New World whisky region.

The Whisky Godfather in the flesh! With Lark Ambassador Randall Tan.

It’s then incredibly nice to see how far Lark has come since its earliest of days, to now being at a point where they’re ready to take on the world and have their whiskies made available closer to the homes of their growing fanbase! Today, Bill Lark plays an ambassador’s role for the distillery that continues to carry his name, whilst his daughter has even gone on to start her own distillery!

Which brings us to today - Lark has just done a refresh of their whiskies with a new line up that feels more engaging, more modern and definitely better suited to speaking to a younger generation of whisky consumers. Even more wonderfully, we have the man, the pioneer, and the legend himself, Bill Lark’s who’s come down to inaugurate the new launch!

Now before we get into the whisky tasting, it really must be properly pointed out that Lark's whiskies are 100% Tasmanian, which means local Tasmanian barley, water, and even peat, where Bill Lark had to actually get a mining license (which Lark is the only distillery to have it) to harvest from Tasmania's peat bogs (of which only Tasmania has within the broader Australian context, and its peat is unlike what we typically understand of Scottish Islay or Highland peat), which then all goes into whiskies that are aged (in the Tasmanian climate) a whole lot in local fortified wine casks, some of which have been in use since the 1870's! And again, going back to the fact that Tasmanian distilling has had a head start, as a result of the Lark family's pioneering work, on many of the new generation of craft distillers around the world, Lark is impressively already at the destination where these distillers are still only striving towards (for example trying to develop local barley)! Which therefore delivers a true encapsulation of that distinct Tasmanian provenance and terroir! 

Let's go!

Whisky Review: Lark No. 151 Fire Trail, 41.5% ABV

From Lark's Pontville Distillery (previously Shene Estate), this was aged in Port and Sherry casks.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Deep Amber

Aroma: It opens luscious and honeyed, yet with an incredibly aromatic botanical quality of juniper, green szechuan peppercorns, eucalyptus and heather! It's almost gently herbal, resinous and spiced, yet coaxed in a good deal of silky and velvety honey. The aromas also has a layered, really pillowy, plush silkiness to it that's sensual and elegant. It continues on to orange peels, with also musty, fragrant woods of cedar and agarwood, and with time orchard fruits begin to emerge as well, of baked apples, poached pears, that's mixed in with an oatmeal cereal creaminess. It's rich and softly spiced with also cinnamon and cloves, accented by a vibrant outline of orange citrus. 

Taste: Medium-plus bodied here, really luscious and rich still, rounded and thickly honeyed, and also spiced with cloves and green szechuan peppercorns, there's still that brighter accent of orange zest, before again showing that cereal creaminess of oatmeal, and also filled in with baked and poached apples and pears. It's incredibly vibrant and creamy, really expressive too, with such an elegance about it.

Finish: That resinous and herbal tones of lacquered agarwood and eucalyptus persists, with also a sweet herbal note of honey mixed in with angelica roots and heather. Still giving loads of those baked apples, bright citruses and a softer touch of that green szechuan peppercorn spice that's now really delicate. Rich and plush through the finish, with lingering honey drizzled over creamy oatmeal.

My Thoughts

Going through no shortage of whiskies on almost a weekly basis, it's not often that I find myself so surprised at what I find, and yet that's my immediate reaction to the Lark Fire Trail! Here we find something so botanical about its aromas, even as it is richly honeyed, there's a spiced and herbal quality to it that strikes me particularly as green szechuan peppercorns, with that delicate tingle, and wonderfully it carries over to the palate as well. But before we get there, I should also that the sheer textural silkiness and pillowy quality of its aromas were also incredibly luscious and precise, and just stunning! Even with its complexity, it's well integrated and comes through in harmonious layers, conveying such depth and is just really complete and perfectly composed. In layers, it's vibrant citrus, green spice and leafy woody resin, creamy and cereal oatmeal, then comes backed orchard fruits and baking spices. Superb!

But this isn't one of those all bluffs where you get an incredible nose, and then it doesn't quite match up on the palate - no, here it's all checked in! All of that luscious honey, green spice, poached orchard fruits, that brightness of citrus even, with again that really almost nutty and creamy oatmeal cereal that gives it such a nuanced depth and richness. It's so elegant and expressive! This all then seamless gets us to the finish, where here it's starting to come through more pronouncedly sweet and herbal and of medicinal roots without the bitterness, still lots of baked apples, and finally creamy and nutty oatmeal that lingers. What a stunner! 

*Having tried this in an Old Fashioned - I'm convinced! This works perfectly!

Whisky Review: Lark No. 183 Devil's Storm, 42% ABV

The Lark Devil's Storm comes from its Cambridge Distillery, which is the inaugural distillery of Lark's, and it's been aged in First Fill vintage Seppeltsfield Tawny Port casks - some of which are well over 100 years old, coming from the 1870's in fact! - as well as Australian PX, Apera and Muscadelle, which are all local fortified wines.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Deep Amber

Aroma: Incredible bouquet, super floral, with lush bouquets of heather and lavender, and again with that delicate yet perky green szechuan peppercorn spice, as well as that citrusy outline. At the core then is manuka and acacia honey, floral and gently herbal of eucalyptus, here also layered in these silky, pillowy robes, with then a light whiff of flint smoke. It's richly honeyed with that nutty creaminess of oatmeal cereal. Incredible depth, really sensual and elegant, with more dark fruits at the back, of raisins, stewed plums and prunes, and as it opens, more intensely of orange peels.

Taste: Medium bodied, it's honeyed with a tinge of ashiness and a whiff of smoke, with an outline of citrus peels, filled in then with sweet wine, raisins, black grapes, and again with that nutty, creamy oatmeal backing it. It's really luscious, with also this slight candied savouriness of burnt brown sugar. Unpacking the body, there's lightly bright tartness of juicy red currant cordials, pomegranate juice, with the smoke combining with the dark fruits to give grilled plums and prunes, as well scoops of dark fruit preserves. There's a presence of some old woodiness although more so aromatic than tannic or bitter, in fact, there's surprisingly no tannins or bitterness to be found, although there is a slight bit of musty rancio and umaminess of brie rinds.

Finish: That nutty oat creaminess carries through the finish, bringing with it this depth of delicate earthy sweetness, which accompanies more on forest floors, underbrush and slightly resinous and herbal eucalyptus. Almost alittle mossy! There's a very light nippiness of the peat ash, with then servings of cough syrup. It's a firm and rich finish, where a tinge of burnt citrus peel and brown sugar lingers alongside that nutty creaminess of oatmeal.

My Thoughts

Absolutely wonderful aromas and body here, this feels almost like it came out of a misty forest up in the altitudes, where there's all these beautifully immersive aromas of exotic florals of heather and lavender, forest floors, herbal honey, grounded by these darker, juicier and richer fruit preserves! Once again, it has that signature Lark green szechuan peppercorn spice that makes it rather botanical, and then that nutty creaminess of oatmeal, livened up by that outline of citrus. It's super floral and fragrant, again really profound and showing such an elegant composition and layering of these pillowy robes of aromatics! At its simplest, it's just such a joy to nose, that you can't help but stir the imagination and start noticing the little sensual subtleties. That richness keeps it mellow and perfumed, which carries through to the body that's filled in with an abundance of dark fruit, here with alittle bit more of that smokiness, which combines so perfectly to give grilled fruits. Again, it keeps that nutty creaminess, with here also a complementing brighter tone of more tart red fruit cordials, leaving space for some savouriness to come through as well. 

It has a sort of polished old oak that resides more as a background canvas, really more aromatic and woody, with no tannins, bitterness or graininess coming through, which is likely the result of using such old casks that no longer impart much oakiness. And finally into the finish, it takes a more forest-y turn once again, calling back to its initial aromas of forest floors, with that slight resinous quality of agarwood. The finish is impeccable with a final kiss of burnt citrus and burnt brown sugars that is balanced out against that persistent and so lovely oat creaminess!

Whisky Review: Lark No. 285 Ruby Abyss, 43.8% ABV

Also from the inaugural Lark Cambridge distillery, this is aged 100% in First-Fill vintage Port and Sherry casks, with also the particular use of century-old Australian Port reserve! 

Tasting Notes

Colour: Deep Amber

Aroma: Brighter here, led by gently tart red berries of cranberries and crushed raspberries, backed up by fresh plums and prunes, it's rather grape-y as well, carrying with it an air of rancio of dried sour plums and brie rinds. Really fresh and aromatic, the big fruitiness is further filled in with alittle more richness of manuka honey, eucalyptus, with a whiff of smoke. Finally a counterpoint of burnt brown sugar savouriness, and a dash of earthiness of mocha, leather and tobacco leaves.

Taste: Medium-bodied here, it's luscious and rounded, really great richness, once again dominated by a fruitiness of red berries, cranberries, grapes, brighter first, before developing towards dried plums, prunes and raisins. It's then drizzled over with manuka honey, with also that earthiness of leather and tobacco, as well as that savouriness of burnt brown sugar. That nutty creaminess oatmeal is still present, although more subtle here. It's nevertheless still showing that velvety silkiness, with wafts of smoke.

Finish: That gentle peat carries through to the finish, with here a more even equilibrium and balance between the leather, tobacco, brown sugar, and also the grapes and cranberries, with the rancio of brie rinds carrying through gently.

My Thoughts

Here we find something brighter with a fresher acidity, that is also much fruitier and rather gourmet - it's the sort of whisky that if you were to do a food pairing, say a cheese and charcuterie board, this should definitely be your pick! All that ready red fruit comes through immediately, vibrant and youthful, even as it comes from some very antique casks! It's excitable and energetic, yet at the same time paired with more of a savoury umaminess, where that dried fruit mustiness and rancio comes through as well. Here we also see alittle more smokiness, plush and enveloping yet not acrid, with also more of that minty leafyiness - all of which lends well to again, a very gourmet style of whisky that goes well with food, with the acidity that cuts through and balances things out, which is what kept running through my mind as I was tasting it. 

This time though, there's less of that bright oranges, as well as the nutty, creamy oatmeal and also that botanical green szechuan peppercorn, with the body also not quite so rich and dense, which is a good match for that brighter, fruitier, fresher profile! Come to think of it, this almost feels quite exotic in fact! And finally, I should add that to my mind, I think this makes for a really good Highball or a Boulevardier!