30 | Up with the Lark
banning the making of whisky on Tasmania, and the island’s 16 legal distilleries – and its numerous illegal ones – were shut down. Fast forward more than 150 years to 1992
and Lark set about overturning the law and reviving the Tasmanian whisky industry. ‘A lot of people ask me how much of a fi ght I had to go through, but there was no fi ght at all – I was pushing at an open door,’ laughs Lark. ‘I got swept up in this wave of enthusiasm from people who wanted to see if we could make whisky in Tasmania. I think the local customs offi ce was even more excited about it than I was.’ Lark enlisted the help of local politician
Duncan Kerr, who in turn roped in Barry Jones, Australia’s customs minister. Not only did they repeal Franklin’s diktat but they also changed the law to give Lark the chance to open a small craft distillery instead of the hulking industrial units that the rules were designed to cover. ‘We bought a beautiful old copper pot still at
an auction for about A$65,’ Lark explains. ‘I had no idea what I was doing but I knew that I loved drinking the stuff and so I would give it a go. I went down the road to the Cascade Brewery and they gave me the wash and yeast that I needed to get started. They were very excited that someone wanted to make whisky in Tasmania.’ Nowadays Lark isn’t the only person
producing whisky on the island, with other distillers jumping on the bandwagon. Ten distilleries are already pumping out whisky and Lark expects the total to rise to 15 by the end of the year. With its peat bogs and cluster of distilleries, it is Australia’s equivalent of Islay. His own whiskies have enjoyed success
around the world, picking up a World Whisky Award and receiving the thumbs up from countless experts. Lark began by exporting his malt to markets across Asia, Europe and the United States, but once Australian drinkers heard about all the success he was having overseas, demand in the domestic market took off. Hailed as the godfather of Australian whisky,
Lark now produces 30,000 litres of spirit each year, double what he was making two years ago. Production is expected to double again over the next two years to keep up with Australia’s new-
Clockwise: Bill Lark on a recent trip to Edinburgh; his distillery in Hobart; cutting peat on the Brown Marsh Bog; Malt; Lark 20th Anniversary release.
HaIleD As The GOdFatHEr oF AusTrALiAn WhiSkY, laRk Now pRodUCes 30,000 liTrES of sPirIT eAcH yeAR
found taste for his drinks, which includes gin, vodka and an aromatic bush liqueur called ‘Tasi’. From just employing himself and Lyn when they began in 1992, Lark Distillery now has 30 staff and the popularity of making whisky has led to a thriving spin-off industry producing copper stills, with more than 50 assembled so far. ‘For a small island economy, it’s a real boon,’ Lark adds. Part of Lark’s success with his single malts is attributed to his use of smaller barrels, around half the size of the standard bourbon casks used in the industry and about a quarter of the size of a traditional sherry butt. The smaller the barrel, the faster it provides fl avour. His whisky has been described as having fl oral notes on the nose and a rich oily maltiness on the palate, with comparisons being drawn with Scotch from Aberlour and Glenfarclas. Lark’s popularity has led to him acting as a
consultant for the other distilleries on the island. ‘When we started, it was just us on our own and we were making it up as we went along,’ he explains. ‘But we had tremendous support from the whisky industry in Scotland. Our daughter,
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