Double wood Single Malt done double right with a blazing, complex profile for a gorgeous Whisky.
Tasmania is a large island province of Australia off the southern coast below Melbourne. Since Australia was a part of the British Empire, it should not surprise anyone that they would eventually take up distilling. In fact, there were sixteen operating distilleries in the capital of Hobart by 1824. Tasmania did their own version of Prohibition. Bill Lark founded what would become Sullivan’s Cove Distillery in 1994 — one of the first two distilleries established after that law was overturned. They are now under new management and celebrating twenty-five years of Spirits excellence WAY down under.
Sullivans Cove does a lot of wood experiments, but they focus on American ex-Bourbon barrels and Limousin oak casks from France that used to hold White Wine. As the name implies, Sullivans Cove Double Cask takes advantage of both. Each batch is crafted from a handful of each style of cask that have been aged from ten to fourteen years to create a smooth and complex dram bottled at 40% ABV. And yes, it’s won four Gold Medals.
Smartass Corner:
Tasmania was one the first to enact Prohibition in 1838. And while Prohibition in the United States lasted thirteen years, in Tasmania it lasted more than 150 years… all the way until 1990.