Lark Distillery, Hobart, TAS

Tasmania is ideally situated to make malt whisky, and yet 150 years after the last licensed Tasmanian distillery closed its doors, it took a whisky lover to realise the environment was perfect. Bill Lark realised that that everything you need for a world-class whisky was in Tasmania - rich fields of barley, an abundance of wonderfully pure soft water, highland peat bogs, and the perfect climate to bring all the ingredients together in a marriage of science, art and passion. The vision of producing Tasmanian malt whisky was born on a trout fishing trip in the highlands of Tasmania. Bill's father in-law Max produced a wonderful bottle of single malt, and as they enjoyed a drink in the park at Bothwell, surrounded by Georgian buildings, barley fields and the gentle flowing of the Clyde River, Bill remarked to Max, "I wonder why there isn't anyone making malt whisky in Tasmania". Lark Distillery is a family affair. Lyn and Kristy Lark (Bill's wife and daughter, respectively) have played an integral part in growing the business. When Kristy joined the team as head distiller, she was one of the world's youngest female distillers. Women are known for their ability to distinguish flavours better than men and this superior talent in both Lyn and Kristy has given Lark products a notable edge. Today the Lark Distillery is one of Australia's leading distilleries, producing high quality, premium spirits using traditional time honored methods. T he Distillery runs a 1800 litre copper pot still along with a 500 litre spirit still, and produces ten to twelve 100 litre barrels per month. The range of distilled products includes the flagship Single Malt Whisky, Premium Vodka, Gin, and and TASI aromatica bush Liqueur.