The Whisky Club's Guide to Australian whisky
July 01, 2026
/ 8
Australian whisky at The Whisky Club
Here at The Whisky Club we think that Australian whisky is still the whisky world's best kept secret. Home to over 100 distilleries, many of them within a day's travel from Club HQ in Tasmania, Australia is punching well above its weight in the flavour stakes, but a little bit behind in terms of awareness. We've featured many Aussie malts over the years, here are a few of our favourites.
If you want access to Australian whiskies that are not available anywhere else, there is not better place than as a Member of The Whisky Club. Join for free today.
A brief history of Australian whisky
Everyone knows that whisky production in Australia began in Tasmania. It is a barley growing island with excellent water and a temperate climate. It is perfect for making whisky. It is no wonder that in 1989, Bill Lark asked why nobody was making whisky in Tasmania whilst on a fishing trip with his father-in-law Max.
What Bill was perhaps unaware of at the time, was that 170 years previously, somebody was asking the same question.
The first distillers set up in Tasmania
The first Australian distillery opened in Sorell, Tasmania in 1822. 16 others followed suit. Sound familiar? Unfortunately this boom didn't last long. In 1839 Governer John Franklin passed the Distillation Prohibition Act effectively killing the first wave of distilling whisky in Tasmania.
Consolidation squashes the little guys
On the mainland, smaller distillers still produced whisky but The Victorian Distillation Act 1863 put many of these craft producers out of business. Only larger operations could pay the taxes. This led to the third largest distillery in the world being built: The Federal Distillery in Melbourne.
In 1929, the Brits entered the stage with the construction of Corio Distillery. Corio was set up to address a post WWI shortage of Scotch whisky. It was capable of producing around 2 million litres of spirit per annum. By 1938, the business was booming with a capacity of around 50 million litres from its column and pot stills making it the largest distillery south of the equator.
Sadly, excise rises and a perception that Corio was an inferior local product were just two factors that led to it's closure in 1983. Many people saw this as the death-knell for Australian whisky production, but just 6 years later a man named Bill Lark went fishing with his father-in-law Max.
The modern craft movement
In 1989, Bill Lark made it his mission to overturn the 1839 Distillation Prohibition Act so that spirit could flow once again in Tasmania. In 1992, Lark Distillery was formed in Bill and Lyn Lark's house. He secured a mining license for Tasmanian peat, found a local stillsmith in Peter Bailey and worked with Andrew Young, a Master Cooper at Seppeltsfield in South Australia to develop the 100L Australian quarter cask. This recipe of small stills, Tasmanian peat and Australian fortified casks became the blueprint of the next 30+ years of Tasmanian whisky.
Two years later, Sullivan's Cove was founded with Hellyer's Road in Burnie to follow in 1997. In 2005, Casey Overeem officially formed Overeem Distillery in his garage and in 2010, Peter Belgrove became Tasmania's first rye distiller. These 5 distilleries are the foundation on which the modern Tasmanian whisky industry is built. Since 2005 distilleries large, small and micro have sprung up all over the state.
Meanwhile on the mainland Bakery Hill fired up their stills in 1999 and Starward in 2004 beginning the boom on the mainland. Many of the distilleries around Australia took Bill's blueprint for making whisky and added their own twist. Starward developed an Australian wine cask wood policy and Archie Rose have pioneered the use of different mashbills to create new make spirit unlike any other globally.
World's Best Whisky
Although founded in 1992, it wasn't until 2014 when Australian whisky started to turn heads around the world. This was due to Sullivan's Cove winning the title of World's Best Single Malt Whisky at the World Whiskies Awards. French Oak Cask HH0525 was the single cask that won the title and catapulted Sullivan's Cove and Tasmanian whisky into the spotlight. The medals have continued to flow into Australia as the distillers prove their mettle against some of the oldest whisky houses in the world. This success has also driven further expansion of the industry and now there are over 50 distilleries in Australia with whisky on the market.
Recent years
Since 2022, Australian whisky continues to flourish. The industry has seen a downturn, like the rest of the whisky world, but the local industry continues to show resilience. The established brands have seen a period of expansion of both production capacity and global reach. Sullivan's Cove, Lark and Overeem are all in new premises and continue to find new markets to impress with their single malts. Old school bottles continue to do well at auction proving Australian whisky is sought after by collectors around the country.
Want to start a whisky collection? Check out The Whisky Club' guide to building a collection.
Want to know more? For a deeper dive into Australian whisky and how it is made, check out the FAQs at the bottom of this article or the following guides:
The Whisky Club's guide to whisky production
The Whisky Club's guide to casks
The Whisky Club's guide to whisky ingredients
The Whisky Club's comparison of Scotch, Irish, American, Australian and Japanese whiskies
The top 10 Australian whiskies we've featured at the Whisky Club
Lark Distilling Co. is based in Pontville about half an hour from Hobart city centre. It continues to make oily, malty new make spirit matured in the finest Australian fortified wine casks very much in the vein of Bill Lark's original whisky making blueprint. These days the distillery has a state of the art blending facility as well as a cooperage on-site making it Tasmania's first whisky village.
This release from Lark Distilling Co. was distilled at their Coal River Valley distillery and matured in Seppeltsfield old oak Apera casks before being finished in Seppeltsfield old oak Apera casks. It is a modern take on Lark's legendary Sherry Sherry releases from yesteryear. The exact cask make up is as follows: 75% Oloroso, 20% Pedro Ximenez, 4% Amontillado and 1% Fino.
We found notes of baking spices, plum pudding and orange oil.
Lark Rare Seppeltsfield Apera Cask Matured specs
Age: NAS
ABV: 49%
Price for Whisky Club Members: $150
Read more: Lark Rare Seppeltsfield Apera Cask Matured - created exclusively for The Whisky Club
Bakery Hill was the first modern distillery on the mainland of Australia founded in Melbourne back in 1999. Their founder, David Baker, was a chemistry teacher with a mission. He wanted to prove that great whisky could be made anywhere. His chemistry background and love of a good dram have provided a perfect foundation for the creation of Australia's first mainland craft single malt whisky.
As part of David's mission, the team have been perfecting the practice of American oak cask maturation. This release contains some of their oldest stocks matured in heavily toasted American oak barrels.
Our tasting notes included honeycomb, stone fruits and vanilla.
Bakery Hill Caramelised Casks - created exclusively for The Whisky Club specs
Age: 9 years old
ABV: 48%
Price for Whisky Club Members: $180
Read more: Bakery Hill Caramelised Casks - created exclusively for The Whisky Club
Sullivan's Cove was founded in 1994 near Hobart's waterfront. While Bill Lark was developing an Australian quarter cask, Sullivan's were maturing their whisky in ex-Bourbon barrels and full size French oak barriques. In addition, they embraced an alembique style of still made famous by Cognac industry.
20 years after being founded, Sullivan's Cove French Oak single cask HH0525 took the title of World's Best Single Malt Whisky in 2014 at the World Whiskies Awards finally shining the light on Tasmania's whisky revolution.
Their core range includes French oak matured whiskies, American oak matured whiskies and the famed combination of both - the Double Cask. This release is the first batch strength release of Double Cask from Sullivan's Cove and was blended by head distiller Heather Tillot exclusively for The Whisky Club.
We found notes of rich fruit, caramel and baking spices.
Sullivan's Cove Batch Strength Double Cask specs
Age: NAS
ABV: 55.4%
Price for Whisky Club Members: $290
Read more: Sullivan's Cove Batch Strength Double Cask- created exclusively for The Whisky Club
While Tasmanian distilleries were exploring single malt whisky methods, Archie Rose in Sydney was looking at mashbills. Originally conceptualised as a rye distillery, they have evolved to embrace the flavour profiles created from lots of different cereals including modern and heritage malts, corn and of course different ryes.
This release had a mash bill of 75% malted rye and 25% malted barley and was matured initially in American virgin oak barrels. It was then added to Archie Rose's famed solera vat to combine with the remnants of every batch of whisky the distillery has ever produced.
We found balanced notes of apricots, peaches and vanilla eclairs.
Archie Rose Solera Strength Rye Whisky specs
Age: NAS
ABV: 52%
Price for Whisky Club Members: $185
Read more: Archie Rose Solera Strength Rye Whisky - created exclusively for The Whisky Club
Belgrove was Tasmania's first field to glass rye whisky. Founded in 2015, it is a farm distillery run by Peter Bignell. Every part of the process has been designed and built by Peter, and every grain of rye he has processed has come from his plan. His stills are direct fired and run on bio-diesel from the local takeaway.
This release was the result of maturation in a single ex-Maker's Mark Bourbon barrel for 7 years.
We caught hints of white chocolate, dill and dessicated coconut in our glass.
Belgrove 7 Year Old Ex-Maker's Mark Cask specs
Age: 7 years old
ABV: 66.2%
Price for Whisky Club Members: $195
Read More: Belgrove 7 Year Old Ex-Maker's Mark Cask - created exclusively for The Whisky Club
Heartwood is Tasmania's first ever indie bottler. Run by Tim Duckett, Heartwood has achieved cult status for it's cask strength releases over the last few decades. Tim has championed the industry since buying his first cask in 1999 showcasing local whiskies in his own style. That style focusses on mouthfeel and drinking experience and has been developed through Tim's understanding of local climate and it's effect on the spirit.
This release is one of the oldest in the Heartwood range and showcases a single malt from Redlands, one of Tasmania's forgotten brands. It was matured for a decade in a single Oloroso cask from Spain.
We found notes of cherry danish, cinnamon and fruitcake married to it's undeniable power.
Heartwood - The Devil Made Me Do It specs
Age: 10 years old
ABV: 66.6%
Price for Whisky Club Members: $295
Read more: Heartwood - The Devil Made Me Do It - created exclusively for The Whisky Club
Limeburners is Western Australia's first craft distillery founded in 2005 by Cameron Syme. Based in Albany, they have put a local stamp on their whiskies by using local grain and peat to create their unique flavour.
This single cask was selected by the Club as it showcased a different side to Limeburners. It was unpeated and American oak matured. This brought through the fruitiness of Limeburners' spirit character.
We found aromas of peaches, roasted coffee and lemon meringue.
Limeburners 10 Year Old American Oak Single Cask specs
Age: 10 years old
ABV: 57%
Price for Whisky Club Members: $500
Read more: Limeburners 10 Year Old American Oak Single Cask - created exclusively for The Whisky Club
Waubs Harbour is a distillery in an old oyster hatchery in Bischeno up Tasmania's east coast. The brainchild of the Polmear family, it calls upon the family's years of experience in distilling, marketing and business.
Head Distiller Rob Polmear cut his teeth at Overeem and Lark back in the day, and has puthis knowledge of flavour chemistry, fermentation and love of a good dram to good use as Waubs Harbour continues to attract praise for their single malts.
Waubs Harbour Oloroso Rusted Casks is a whisky crafted from Rob's interest in maturation conditions. These casks were suspended over a tank in the distillery that was full of sea water. The saline content of the air caused the hoops to rust and we think imparted an even more pronounced maritime note in the whisky.
We found aromas of salted caramel, raspberries and stewed apple.
Waubs Harbour Oloroso Rusted Casks specs
Age: NAS
ABV: 51.7%
Price for Whisky Club Members: $195
Read more: Waubs Harbour Oloroso Rusted Casks - created exclusively for The Whisky Club
Casey Overeem founded Overeem Distillery in his garage in 2007. He would buy wash from Bill Lark and distil it to his own specifications.
In the early days, he developed a unique fruity single malt style due to a closed fermentation, use of distillers yeast and completely unpeated malt. These days the distillery is run by his daughter Jane and her husband Mark Sawford.
This release was aged in old oak casks that contained some of the Barossa Valley's oldest fortified wine.
We found notes of dark chocolate, dates and craisins.
Overeem Very Old Port Casks specs
Age: NAS
ABV: 49.8%
Price for Whisky Club Members: $195
Read more: Overeem Very Old Port Casks - created exclusively for The Whisky Club
Launceston distillery was founded in 2013 in Hangar 17 at Launceston airport. It is famed for making a mellow and fruity style of spirit.
For this release, Head Distiller Chris Condon has used heavily peated malted barley from Scotland. It was matured in Bourbon and Apera casks balancing decadent fruity notes and vanilla with the intense smoke from the peated malt.
We tasted burnt toffee, pears and peanut brittle in here.
Launceston Peated Double Cask specs
Age: NAS
ABV: 53%
Price for Whisky Club Members: $175
Read more: Launceston Peated Double Cask 500ml - created exclusively for The Whisky Club
Like what you see? Sign up for free to hear about The Whisky Club's future Australian whisky releases.
This is just a snapshot of the Australian whiskies featured by The Whisky Club with plenty more to come. We’re constantly searching downunder for outstanding whiskies. If you are yet to taste Aussie whisky, there is no better time to explore the category than now. Join The Whisky Club for free to stay up to date with new releases from both long-established producers and the next generation of Australian and Tasmanian distilleries.
Australian whisky FAQs
What are the best Australian whisky brands?
Lark, Sullivan's Cove, Hellyer's Road, Overeem and Belgrove are considered the foundation of Tasmania's booming whisky industry. These brands have fans around the world and set the benchmark for the next generation of distillers in Tasmania. In terms of the second generation, we recommend watching the team at Waub's Harbour and Spring Bay.
On the mainland Starward, Bakery Hill and Archie Rose are the most prominent brands out there.
What are Australia's major whisky distilleries?
The major Australian distilleries are:
- Lark Distillery - Lark was the first and continues to blaze a trail. These days based on an estate in Pontville they have a flexible single malt distillery, cooperage and peat smoker on-site.
- Sullivan's Cove Distillery - Still utilising their cognac style pot still, Sullivan's Cove's distillery in Cambridge shows off how they craft their unique world beating single malts.
- Waub's Harbour - based in an old oyster hatchery in Bischeno, Waub's has built a dream team making maritime malts.
- Archie Rose Distillery - on the outskirts of Sydney, Archie Rose is prehaps the most advanced distillery in Australia.
- Starward Distillery - Based in Melbourne, Starward utilise Australian wine casks to deliver their unique range of single malts and blended whiskies.
How did Australian whisky begin?
Australian whisky has two origin stories. The first distillery opened in Sorell Tasmania in 1822 leading to a local whisky boom. In the early 20th century, larger more industrial distilleries took root making and selling large volumes of whisky until the 1980s. The second boom started in 1992 when Bill Lark opened the first modern craft distillery in Tasmania after overturning an ancient law prohibiting distillation in Tasmania.
How is Australian whisky made?
Australian whisky is made very much the same way as Scotch whisky with two slight differences. Australian whisky only needs to age for two years vs three for Scotch and in Australia any wooden casks can be used, but the Scottish can only use oak.
- Australian single malt whisky is made from 100% malted barley, distilled in pot stills and aged for a minimum of two years in wooden casks.
- Australian grain whiskies are made using different grains and can be distilled in column, pot, vacuum stills or in combinations of these methods.
- Australian blended whisky is a marriage of malt and grain whiskies from Australia.
Check out The Whisky Club's guide to making whisky to dive deeper into whisky production.
What does Australian whisky taste like?
Australian whisky tends to be a bit oilier and richer than Scotch whisky due to the small size of craft pot stills used. It also tends to be very oak driven and rich in flavour due to the use of wine and fortified wine casks from South Australia.
Is Australian whisky better than Scotch?
Australian whisky stands up well in international competitions where Scotch whiskies are present, often winning gold medals and trophies. Whether it is better is down to personal preference, but we do believe that everyone should experience Australian whisky when they get the chance.
Why is Australian whisky so expensive?
Australian whisky is expensive due to a number of factors. Firstly, there is the higher duty rates on alcohol in Australia vs other parts of the world. Secondly, the cost of production is higher in a small craft distillery vs a larger factory. They don't have the same volume discounts that larger distilleries can access whether dry goods or raw materials.
How should I drink Australian whisky?
Australian whisky can be enjoyed neat, with water, or on the rocks. It can also really level up a classic cocktail like an old fashioned or Boulevardier.
How does a whisky subscription work?
Our whisky subscription is simple, flexible, and completely opt-out; you’re always in control.
Why subscribe?
- Access to whiskies created exclusively for Members of The Whisky Club
- Early access to global whisky releases from the world’s greatest distilleries
- Tasting notes and information on each whisky you order
- Prize draws for trips, delivery day upgrades and exclusive Club merchandise
- Discounts at our Clubhouses around Australia
- No hidden fees, no minimum orders