By Ash Pini
Anniversaries and milestones in the Australian whisky industry are still in their infancy, yet important none the less when they represent declarations of achievement, vision, and future direction. Few carry the weight of Sullivan’s Cove’s latest release: two 25-year-old single malts, not only the oldest expressions from this Tasmanian pioneer but among the oldest single malts ever produced in Australia. I had the privilege of tasting them at the distillery in Hobart, during the world’s very first pour; an intimate moment that underscored just how far Australian whisky has come.
A Revival Rooted in Defiance
In 1994, the global whisky landscape looked starkly different. Outside Scotland, Ireland, and Japan, serious distillation was met with scepticism. This, however, was the time in which Sullivan’s Cove began operations, kickstarting the island state’s, and Australia’s, whisky renaissance. It was founder Robert Hoskin, inspired by a visit to Japan, who saw the opportunity of pairing Tasmanian seafood with homegrown (and distilled) whisky: the pristine local produce already revered around the world being the perfect partner for fine spirits.
“The approach was always gastronomic,” explains distillery manager Heather Tillott, a former winemaker who joined the team early on. What emerged wasn’t mainstream replication but a deliberate counterpoint to the era’s norms.
While many Australian pioneers adopted the “Lark Method”; small stills, petite casks, new wood, and rapid single-cask releases for quick cash flow, Sullivan’s Cove chose restraint. Long, slow ferments; a Charentais-style alembic still run for maximum reflux; and maturation in full-sized 300- or 500-liter casks. “This is a spirit that needs time, patience, and restraint,” Tillott says. “A winemaker once told me good ones get out of the way.” She took it to heart.
A Quarter Century of Craftsmanship
Distilled in 1999 and matured in Tasmania’s cool maritime climate, the 25 Year Old represents the culmination of Sullivans Cove’s slow and deliberate approach to whisky making. It is also claimed to be the oldest whisky ever released by any continuously operating New World whisky distillery: putting Australia at the forefront of the global whisky conversation.
“This release is more than just a rare single cask,” said Andy Gaunt, CEO of Sullivans Cove. “It’s a living record of our history… proof that with skill, craftsmanship and patience, great whiskies can come from anywhere in the world, especially here in Tasmania.”
Two distinct casks make up the release:
- Single Cask HH0056: Matured in a 200L American Oak ex-Bourbon barrel, yielding just 134 bottles. Available by invitation only.
- Single Cask HH0010: A 300L American Oak refill cask, yielding 349 bottles, made available via public ballot.
Both casks were laid down by Patrick Maguire, a pioneering figure in the Australian whisky renaissance. “We had hopes that our locally grown barley and pure Tasmanian water would be the basis for great things,” said Maguire. “To see two of our casks mature out to 25 years is something we did not expect.”
Defining a New World Benchmark
Sullivans Cove’s approach is uncompromising: slow fermentations, Charentais-style alembic stills, and large-format casks all play a role in developing deeply complex, balanced whiskies. The distillery’s sensory team assesses every cask over its life, bringing it to bottle only when maturity and harmony are met.
Heather Tillott describes HH0056 as “a seamless expression of spirit, oak and ex-Bourbon cask integration… richly rewarding from start to finish.” Meanwhile, HH0010 is a “profound display of age and character, and an enduring piece of Tasmanian and global whisky history.”
Both whiskies underscore Sullivans Cove’s long-held belief that time, place and patience yield world-class results. The distillery’s style: rich, textural, and deeply expressive – is now synonymous with Australian single malt excellence.
Tasting notes:
Sullivan’s Cove 25-Year-Old, Cask HH0056 (47.6% ABV, ex-Bourbon barrel ballot)
Nosing reveals orchard and tropical fruits, coconut and chocolate. The whisky opens and the coconut turns toasty. The palate is creamy and layered: more tropical fruit, mandarin, liquorice, and a nutty finish. It’s vibrant and composed.
Sullivan’s Cove 25 Year Old, Cask HH0010 (47.8% ABV, 300L refill American oak)
Mature: toffee apple and banoffee pie. Theres’s a richness to the nose that wraps coconut and cream. The palate is silken and complex with a thickness that wraps around the tongue. There’s a nutty depth and umami; sweetness and savoury dancing together with continued tropical fruits. This finish is lingering and rewarding, more strawberries and cream, and gentle floral notes. A Milestone for Australian Whisky.
Tasting these in Hobart, surrounded by the distillery’s quiet hum (not mentioning the odd fire alarm), felt historic. Sullivan’s Cove has long hinted at this potential; now it’s realised. When Sullivan’s Cove (and Australia) had it’s World Whisky Awards moment in 2006, this nation, once dismissed in whisky circles, had a standard bearer for excellence.
These are not just anniversaries, they’re blueprints for what patient, place-driven distillation can achieve Down Under.