A quarter of a century on a New World whisky is nothing short of a momentous milestone! 

As the world of whiskies continues to evolve and blossom around the world, some of the first wave of New World distillers are now well and truly seasoned and have with great gusto etched their names in the pantheons of whiskymaking. These pioneers of bringing whiskymaking to destinations of the world that historically did not make whiskies and had to import them, have now honed their craft, proved that they can make whiskies that are world class and at the same time distinctive in identity, won the awards, and are now proudly touting age statements once unthinkable. It is nothing short of a feat and a cause for celebration for any whisky lover!

Tasmania offers a unique purity of its environment that in turn shapes its whiskies.

In the southern edges of Tasmania, one such trailblazer resides - its of course none other than Sullivans Cove.

As we come close up with their landmark pair of 25 Year Old single casks, it's worth taking on a retrospective look at how far they've come.

Before Sullivans Cove's arrival on the Hobart scene in 1994, Tasmania had in fact seen whisky distilling - well, at least it did over 150 years ago! The early settlers then had distilled their own malted barley spirits largely on their own terms to supply the local community that had taken root on the island just off the coast of Victoria. Yet it was in 1838 that a new governor had arrived and brought with him a prohibition that would last until 1992 when whisky hall-of-famer Bill Lark had fought to have the law overturned and would bring distilling back to Tasmania. Just 2 years later, Sullivans Cove would itself be established.

The team at Sullivans Cove.

The early years were anything but easy, and so it was really only in 1999 that things began to really shape up. Through the work of Bill Lark and Patrick Maguire, Sullivans Cove distillery would now be set on the right course - one that would lead them towards the world acclaim they've so deserved today. With just a 2 litre cask of whisky to start with, they began to set in place the motion for Sullivans Cove to produce the incredible whiskies that it makes today. By 2003, Patrick would fully take on the helm of the distillery with whisky icon Heather Tillott serving as the distillery's manager.

Yet beyond its historical value, Sullivans Cove success is really also a matter of capturing the most distinct essence of Tasmania. Boasting one of the world's best air purity (the World Meteorological Organisation has but three Baseline Air Pollution stations that measure the benchmark for what is considered to be the purest air, with one of these three stations set up on Tasmania), this translates into the purest possible rainwater and some of the highest quality Tasmanian barley (also as result of the basalt rich martian soils), both of which are used by Sullivans Cove for its whiskies, and is responsible for its smoothness and richness. When it comes to distillation, the distillery also uses a very unusual Alembic still (more commonly used for French brandy) with long fermentations which produces a spirit that favours a cleaner, more elegant, floral and fruity profile.

Hobart, Tasmania.

And finally because of Tasmania's temperate maritime climate, where the hot summers are long and the winters are sunny yet short, Sullivans Cove is able to age its whiskies in a much slower and gentle manner, allowing for long cask ageing without overly extracted oakiness - in fact, Sullivans Cove's whiskies lose about 5% of volume annually and yet the loss here is uniquely water and not alcohol, leaving more alcohol in the cask! As such, the distillery does not face a similar pressure that many New World distillers do where the intensely hot climates that many of them operate within forces them to bottle their whiskies early to prevent a heavy handed oak influence. Consequently, Sullivans Cove does not stick to any hard and fast production schedules, only bottling whiskies as a single cask when the team deems it ready - that means no flagship whiskies, multi-cask blends or large vattings! Each bottles comes from its own individual cask! 

Made like a Brandy (because the distillery also produces its own Brandy!) resulting in a unique whisky that's come into its own.

That artisanal approach, coupled with the distillery's heritage and ability to capture fully its singular regional distinctive identity is precisely why the Sullivans Cove has been able to stand the test of time and now celebrates the release of this pair of landmark 25 Year Old single casks - the oldest Australian single malts till date! It is truly a whisky that is made from and in Tasmania, embodies Tasmania and has been delivering that experience to fans around the world one cask at a time.

Today we're at Pacific Club Singapore where these 25 Year Old's are being launched, with The Whisky Club Australia offering them up to its members in London, Paris, Hong Kong, and Singapore. If you're interested in getting your hands on this historic release, look no further - you can sign up find it here.

Let's go!

Whisky Review: Sullivans Cove 25 Years Old, American Oak ex-Bourbon Cask HH0056, 47.6% ABV

Matured in a 200L American oak ex-Bourbon cask, this single cask has yielded just 134 bottles.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Amber

Aroma: Bright, clean and rather mellow. Opens with a rounded core of apples, pears and  apricots. Light honey, toasted coconut and vanilla sit just behind the fruit. As it continues to open, a faint cereal-hull note appears, along with a subtle waxy texture in the background.

Taste: Cohesive, rather tropical with clear ex-bourbon influence. Opens with biscuity, toasted coconut notes, then vanilla and coconut cream form the backbone joined by brown sugar, Gula Melaka (palm sugar), marshmallows on toasted graham crackers, and as it develops, a small lift of orange peel and mint appears. 

Finish: Long, evocative, continuing the same coconut-and-vanilla profile from the palate. Some sweet liquorice candy at the edges, a lingering aftertaste of slate and aromatic cereal hulls. 

My Thoughts

This one is more restrained and mellow compared to the N°HH0010 refill cask, but it carries a touch more vanillin richness and exotic confectionary notes that lead into a long, graceful finish that holds its shape with coconut, vanilla and light cereal notes. The orchard fruits come through clear and defined, the coconut-vanilla sweetness is refined rather than heavy. It’s an expression that leans into finesse and graceful maturation rather than loud impact.

Whisky Review: Sullivans Cove 25 Years Old, American Oak Second Fill HH0010, 47.8% ABV

Matured in a 300L American Oak Second-Fill cask, this single cask yielded 349 bottles.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Amber

Aroma: Dense and composed. It opens very clean, with soft fruits: rounded quince, gentle stone-fruit flesh and sweet tinned pineapples that feel mature and caramelised rather than bright. Develops into Goreng Pisang (fried banana) that blends naturally into milk-chocolate tones. Some antique furniture polish adds an older-cask reminder without interfering with the clarity, and some light mintiness lifts the edges. More subtle details show up with candy floss, slate-like minerality, barley aromatics and a mild grassy, herbaceous layer that sits quietly behind the fruit and chocolate. 

Taste: Very generous right from the start with a smooth and slightly creamy texture. Honey, milk-chocolate character becomes much fuller here, joined by Christmas baking spices and a soft mocha-like chocolate, a touch of earthiness with a hint of Camembert rind and savoury notes just on the cusp of rancio. Cocoa influence remains the dominant thread. With some time, the whisky opens up into brighter clear tones of Martinelli’s apple juice, pomelo with small flecks of rind.

Finish: Long and carries a distinctly milky lactone note that stretches well past the swallow. Cocoa powder returns, accompanied by light honey and a soft impression of red berries. 

My Thoughts

This was my favourite of the entire set. The texture is big and oily, and the profile is cohesive, mature and quietly playful.

It offers a harmonious balance of funk and refined character you can’t find anywhere else, what with that Goreng Pisang, light savouriness and cheese-rind nuance against a polished cocoa-forward profile. It’s round, layered, and dances with deeper tones of chocolate and earthiness while retaining the bounciness of apple juice and citrus notes. The milkiness in the finish is also rather delightful.

@CharsiuCharlie