Hunter Island St Patrick's Day Release

This Tasmanian interpretation of Ireland’s signature dram has been triple-pot distilled by Damian Mackey, who started the Mackey triple-distilled single malt brand in 2007. Since the eponymous brand’s closure, Damian and Madeleine Mackey have gone ‘full Irish’, devoting Hunter Island to single pot still whisky.

The traditional whiskey of Ireland, pot still whiskey is made from a mix of malted barley and unmalted barley, and sometimes with the addition of other grains like oats, wheat or rye. It’s always made in a copper pot still, and is almost always triple distilled. Hunter Island’s St Patricks Day release is no exception, having been triple distilled in a copper pot in the exact method of the Irish, thanks to the Mackey’s time spent in Ireland in recent years.

This small batch release for the Club has been matured in a perfectly equal combination: 50% matured in a Port cask then finished in a 200L Bourbon cask, and 50% fully matured in an ex-Jack Daniel's cask. Once married, the whisky produces a viscous and even mouthfeel that coats the palate beautifully, with freshly baked Anzac biscuits, candied orange, spice-laden apple strudel with hints of dried apricots and soft mocha on its tantalising finish. Classically Irish in its thick texture, the viscosity is a result of the three grains of malted barley, unmalted barley and oats used in all Hunter Island whisky. It almost goes without saying, but this hand-crafted, small batch is non-chill filtered and completely natural in colour.

Ever true to the local whisky industry in Tasmania, Hunter Island spell whisky the Australian way, without an ‘e' – but make no mistake, this is as incredibly faithful, hand-crafted execution of the Irish drams we all know and love.