A Legacy of Patience and Craftsmanship
In the serene coastal town of Hobart, Tasmania, where the Derwent River flows into the Southern Ocean, Sullivans Cove Distillery has long been a testament to patience. Established in 1994, the distillery played a pivotal role in sparking one of the most dynamic movements in modern spirits: the rise of new world whisky. Now, more than three decades later, Sullivans Cove is celebrating a milestone that few could have foreseen at the start of its journey—the release of two 25-year-old whiskies, the oldest single malt ever to come from Australia, and among the oldest from any continuously operating new world distillery.
The Rise of New World Whisky
In the 1990s, the world of single malt whisky was facing challenges. Scotland saw 20 distilleries close their doors in the 1980s, with seven more following in the early 1990s. Only two new distilleries opened during this time. In Ireland, just two distilleries were producing single malt: Bushmills in the North and Cooley in the Republic. Meanwhile, Japanese whisky was gaining domestic popularity but had yet to make a global impact. The idea that an Australian distillery might carve out a name for itself on the world stage was considered radical.
A Vision Fueled by Belief
As one of the earliest pioneers of single malt whisky-making outside of Scotland, Ireland, and Japan, Sullivans Cove built its dream on local grain and water, driven by the belief that time would be the key to quality. That vision was realized in 2014 when a Sullivans Cove French oak cask, HH0525, was namedWorld’s Best Single Maltat the World Whiskies Awards. This marked the first time a whisky from outside the traditional heartlands had claimed the title. The shock on the faces of the judges—some of the most respected names in the industry—was palpable, and the world took notice. More awards followed in 2018 and 2019, confirming what Tasmanians had always believed: patience pays off.
Two 25-Year-Old Whiskies
Now, after 25 years of maturation, Sullivans Cove is releasing two of its oldest casks, marking a significant chapter in the story of world whisky. Both barrels are made of American oak ex-bourbon, one a refill and the other freshly filled. These releases are a testament to how far both Sullivans Cove and the wider whisky world have come in 25 years.
The first of these releases, Cask HH0056, was filled in 1999 and has yielded just 134 bottles, available only by invitation. Cask HH0010, drawn from a 300-liter American oak refill barrel, has produced 349 bottles, offered through a ballot. Both will be priced at $4,500 AUD ($2,930). Just 50 bottles have been reserved for the global market, distributed across London, Paris, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
A Testament to Time and Talent
“To see two of our casks mature out to 25 years is something we did not expect,” recalls former distillery manager Patrick Maguire, who filled them. “We had hopes that our locally grown barley and pure Tasmanian water would be the basis for great things.”
Current distillery manager Heather Tillott describes HH0056 as “a seamless expression of spirit, oak and cask integration,” and HH0010 as “a profound display of age and character.”
Samples of each arrived on my desk, having traveled from the far reaches of the Southern Hemisphere. The rarest of the pair, Cask HH0056, was filled on November 16, 1999 (decanted into the sample bottle on May 6, 2025), and carries tropical fruit notes on the nose, with hints of banana, coconut, and jasmine. The ABV sits at 47.6% and gives a vibrancy to the floral notes. Official notes list apple pie and vanilla, with a creamy vanilla custard rounding off the aroma.
On the palate, there is more of the jasmine notes, this time as jasmine tea. French pastry richness, with a thick, silky texture comes next, followed by runny honey and a slight nutty note of almonds and praline. The finish is long, with peaches, white chocolate, and a hint of oak spices. New world or old is moot here: this is a fantastic dram, whatever the lineage.
The ‘older’ of these two siblings, Cask HH0010, was filled on October 12, 1999, and is slightly stronger at 47.8% ABV. This delivers a more robust nose, with hints of candied red cherry, dates, dark chocolate, and fig leaf. The palate gives sweet sticky toffee pudding, nut brittle, honeycomb chocolate bar, and some leather notes. The finish is long, with liquorice and lime pickle. A different beast, with broader shoulders than the one-month younger cask, carrying more depth, but less elegance. One for before dinner, the other for after. At a push, I’d favor the elegance of Cask HH0056.
Tasmania’s mild, maritime climate has done its work here. The island’s slow, steady seasons have allowed the whisky to evolve with grace, deepening in complexity without losing freshness; a rare gift in whisky, new world or otherwise.
