A Dram with Jane Overeem

April 23, 2020
 / 3 mins

In one of the fairy-tales of Tasmanian whisky, the Overeem brand makes it's way back to the founding family at the end of June this year. We caught up with founder and one of the leading ladies of Tassie whisky, Jane Overeem, for a quick dram to talk all things whisky.

TWC: First whisky memory?

JO: When I was just 18, Dad (Casey Overeem) took me to the inaugural Australian Malt Whisky Convention in Adelaide. We sat down for a tasting of eight whiskies at 10 AM! I had only tasted a bit of whisky here and there before this, so I couldn't believe what Dad was getting me into! I also wasn't aware that you could ‘spit’ until about halfway through...! 

Favourite whisky memory?

Whisky in the Sky! It was actually called 'Dinner in the Sky'. We hosted an Overeem whisky tasting to 22 guests at a table that was raised 50 meters high by a crane (higher than Tasmania's tallest building) overlooking Hobart, the mountain and waterfront. The views were amazing—and we watched the Sydney to Hobart race yachts come in! What an experience, I'd love to do again! 

What do you love most about making whisky? 

The fact that people really do enjoy drinking something that we have made!  

Top five drams of all time? 

  1. I'm not kidding when I say ‘Overeem’. Overeem 43% ABV is still my go-to drink! It's easy to drink, but rich and complex. It also fills me with nostalgia as soon as I take a sip. And thankfully, it's readily available.
  2. Yamazaki 18. Not so easy to get these days, but really loved drinking this on a snowboarding trip to Japan my husband and I did a few years ago. 
  3.  Aberlour A'bunadh. I Love this whisky after buying it for my husband's birthday one year! It doesn't last long at our house and is replaced regularly. 
  4. Bowmore 12—always a winner, and one of Dad's favourites. 
  5. Balvenie 25 —Ross Blainey gave me a try of this after a tasting we were at in Hobart. I'll never forget how much I loved it and wanted a whole bottle!  

What does the future hold for Overeem?

As we continue to increase production, we are excited to see Overeem reach many more people around the world. We look forward to new relationships and partnerships, new cask releases, and special events and tastings around the world.  

What does the future hold for the Tasmanian whisky industry? 

Growth. This will be great for the consumer with much more availability and choice! There are several distilleries producing fantastic whiskies that I believe will really make a name for themselves domestically and internationally.

How do you most like to enjoy a whisky? 

In front of a fire! With friends!  

A whisky drinking tip? 

Nose with your mouth open and remember to swirl your first sip all around your tongue and molars.


If you've not yet heard, this month we’re taking our local whisky journey to new heights with nothing less than the first ever Overeem Pedro Ximénez Sherry Cask.

Imagine five of the best Overeem Port and Sherry casks married together, then given a second maturation in a 500l ex-Pedro Ximénez butt from Langmeil Winery in the Barossa and, in another first for Overeem, bottled at 61.8% straight from the cask. The Aussie PX brings deep layers of rich jammy stone fruit, burnt orange and treacle on top of the classic oily, malty Overeem that we all love.

There’s a reason why Tassie whisky is so popular and Overeem single malt is a huge part of that reason. Get you hands on a bottle now.

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