Welcome to Lark distillery

Transcription

1 Welcome to Lark distillery W It occurred to Bill and Lyn Lark in the mid 1980s that Tasmania was ideally situated to make malt whisky, and yet no one was doing it. Tasmania grows some of the world s best brewing barley, the highlands abound in rich peat, the water is soft, clean and pure, and the temperature and humidity create a climate that is well suited to the production and maturation of fine malt whisky. The Larks idea was encouraged from all quarters, and after a stint studying the science and art of distillation in South Australia, Bill returned to Tasmania full of enthusiasm. Lyn discovered a small copper still at an antiques auction, hidden away among the bentwood chairs and mahogany tables, and armed with this and Bill s newfound knowledge, they started experimenting. The next step was a visit to the Australian Customs Service to obtain a distiller s licence. The customs officers had never been asked for one of these before, so the Distillation Act 1901 was brought out of the cupboard and dusted off. There was a problem: a big problem. The act specified that the pot still would have to have a minimum wash capacity of 2700 litres several orders of magnitude away from the Larks 4 litre pot. Not to be discouraged, Bill approached his local Federal member of parliament, and through his appeal to the Federal Minister for Customs, Small Business and Science, the legislation was amended to allow the Larks to obtain their General Distiller s Licence. In the early days, recalls Bill, we used to front up to Cascade Brewery where head brewer Ken Holmes would stop the production of vast quantities of wort and drain off 80 litres or so for us to take home and brew for our whisky production runs. Dr Ron Sutherland, Laird of the local Gillies Club, encouraged the Larks to experiment with peat smoking to add character to the whisky flavour. The distillery soon moved from the Larks home cellar to commercial premises in Richmond, then to its present cellar door premises on the waterfront in Hobart s picturesque Sullivans Cove. As Bill says, It s truly an inspiring place it makes turning on the still at 6am a pleasure. Production has increased exponentially, though it is still difficult to keep up with demand. Lark Distillery now runs an 1800 litre copper pot still, along with a 500 litre spirit still, and produces ten to twelve 100 litre barrels per month. Brewing and distilling is done at Lark s Mt Pleasant distillery in the Coal River Valley, and they also cut peat from their own Brown Marsh Bog in the central highlands, and operate their own cooperage to produce barrels for ageing the whisky. Bill and Lyn s daughter Kristy has come on board in recent years and quickly progressed to the role of head distiller, gaining recognition as arguably the world s youngest female distiller. Impressed by Lark Distillery results, the International Institute of Brewers and Distillers awarded Kristy a scholarship to visit Scotland, where she had the opportunity to be influenced by the whisky greats of the industry. New directions Having put down the first few barrels of whisky, Bill and Lyn Lark began to think about other avenues they could take with their distillery while they were waiting for the spirit to mature. During one of their long nights baby-sitting the still, Lyn suggested they explore making a gin a product sold without the need for maturation. But fresh juniper berries, the staple ingredient of gin, were hard to obtain in Tasmania. Lyn decided to try a local alternative. The berries of mountain pepper (Tasmannia lanceolata) have similar herbal and aromatic characteristics, and also have spicy, hot seeds at their heart. As Bill recalls, I will never forget the day that Lyn phoned me to say she was distilling the first batch, and perhaps I should come home. As soon as I opened the door I was hit by the wonderful explosion of aromas, and we knew immediately that the spirit was destined for something great, perhaps not a traditional gin but something quite unique. The new product, named Tasmanian Bush Liqueur, was released in 1996, and following that year s Taste of Tasmania the Sydney Morning Herald ran a story about it. From that morning our life was changed. People from all over Australia were knocking on our door looking for the Lark Distillery, says Bill. Following the success of Tasmanian Bush Liqueur, Lark Distillery now makes gin, vodka, apple schnapps and liqueur, apple brandy, and a remarkable cherry spirit named Cherry Max.

2 hy make whisky in Tasmania? Bill Lark s vision of producing Tasmanian malt whisky was born on a trout fishing trip in the highlands of Tasmania. After a successful day s fishing, Bill s father-inlaw Max produced a wonderful bottle of single malt, and as they enjoyed a drink in the park at Bothwell, surrounded by Georgian buildings, barley fields and the gentle flowing of the Clyde River, Bill remarked to Max, I wonder why there isn t anyone making malt whisky in Tasmania. It had suddenly dawned on Bill that everything you need for a world-class whisky were all around him rich fields of barley, an abundance of wonderfully pure soft water, highland peat bogs, and the perfect climate to bring all the ingredients together in a marriage of science, art and passion. Barley Tasmania has a reputation for growing a wonderful cool-climate barley, rich in nitrogen and nutrients, producing a big yield potential with high malt extract and a high diastatic power (starch-converting enzyme activity). The continuing success of Tasmania s premium beers are evidence of the high quality of Tasmanian barley. Water Even though malt whisky derives its unique character and quality from barley, yeast and the oak in which it matures, it is nevertheless essential to brew the whisky wash using the purest, cleanest water available. You can t get a better water than what we use at Lark Distillery Hobart s water is fresh from Roaring Forties cloudbursts over the mountains to the west, and is piped from the fern-shaded streams of Mount Field National Park. Peat Traditional Scottish whiskies use peat smoking to add complexity to the flavour. As it happens, the central highlands of Tasmania are also rich with peat. Lark Distillery digs peat from our own source Brown Marsh Bog in the central highlands of Tasmania for use in the malting furnace, adding a distinctive sweetness and smokiness to the flavour of our whisky. As we obtain our malt from Cascade Brewery we have had to be innovative in developing our own post malt peat furnace and a unique peating process. Climate Visitors may not always appreciate it, but Tasmania s climate provides the perfect conditions for maturing barrels of malt whisky spirit. The balance of humidity and temperature in a clean, green environment is crucial in fostering the complexity of spirit interacting with both the oak of the barrel and the surrounding atmosphere. Distilling in early Hobart Town Lark Distillery was not the first distillery to operate in Tasmania, but you have to go back 153 years to find our nearest predecessor. The early history of distilling in Hobart is fascinating for the insight it provides on the early colony. Let s start at the beginning: When Hobart Town was established in 1804 as Tasmania s first colonial settlement, the population depended on the Commissariat Store for food, clothing and refreshments. As the settlement grew, the Commissariat was able to draw on local sources for the colony s needs, but brewing and distilling were prohibited in those times. This didn t stop the inhabitants of Hobart from developing a reputation for their notorious drinking habits: there was a steady supply of imported spirits, and any number of illegal distilleries. In an effort to overcome grog fever, the government relaxed the prohibition in Two breweries were immediately established, and The Sorell Distillery opened its doors in The Hobart Town Gazette reported its spirits to be of good quality and flavour. This distillery is the first that has been erected in Van Diemen s land, and is likely in all respects to succeed. The Derwent Distillery opened the following year, and the Constantia Distillery, situated at the New Town Rivulet, near the tannery, was advertising its good wholesome and pure spirit at 10/- per gallon by However there was trouble ahead for the local distilleries. In 1825, continuing problems with sly grog shops, as opposed to Licenced Houses prompted the Governor Brisbane to reduce the duty on imported spirits and increase it on local product. The only distillery to survive into the 1830s was the Derwent Distillery. It succumbed in 1839, when Lt Governor Franklin introduced legislation to abolish the local distilling industry altogether. So ended the whisky industry in Tasmania, until Bill and Lyn Lark obtained their General Distiller s Licence in 1992.

3 The lark DisTillery 14 Davey street hobart Tasmania Phone: Fax: [email protected] WebsiTe: opening Times : open From 10am seven Days* *except Public holidays VICTORIA DOCK CONSTITUTION DOCK DAVEY STREET MACQUARIE STREET MUSEUM TOWN HALL T a s m a n i a s l a rg e s T m a lt W h i s k y B a r Products Lark Distillery was established in 1992 to produce a premium Tasmanian Single Malt Whisky. During the days of those early barrels maturing quietly in bond storage Lark Distillery was encouraged to explore the production of other unique Tasmanian spirits from the wonderful bounty that Tasmania has to offer. Our product range now includes: LARK SINGLE MALT WHISKY Carefully brewed from peat smoked, malted barley in our copper pot stills and proudly matured in small oak casks, delivering a rich smooth malt whisky with a delightful complex character, in just five years. Our malt whisky is now available at Cask Strength and we also offer specially selected releases, hand picked by our distiller from a single cask. Lark Single Malt Whisky is now receiving high accolades from whisky critics throughout the world. TASMANIAN BUSH LIQUEUR Bush liqueur was developed by Lyn Lark in 1996 from the native mountain pepper (Tasmannia lanceolata), which is unique to Tasmania. Mountain pepper is similar to the juniper berry used to make gin, having similar herbal and aromatic qualities. It also has lovely little hot seeds in the middle, producing a delightfully warm and spicy character in the spirit. Grown in the wetter forest and alpine regions of Tasmania, mountain pepper berries are collected in season, crushed and steeped in strong alcohol, then distilled in small copper stills to produce a soft spirit of warmth and spice. Uniquely Tasmanian, Bush Liqueur can be enjoyed on its own or over crushed ice with a squeeze of fresh lemon. It is used by leading bars in numerous cocktail mixes. PEPPERBERRY GIN and VODKA Having become known for our unique Bush Liqueur using mountain pepper, we decided to continue with one of our original intentions to make a Tasmanian gin. In addition to the usual botanicals such as juniper, coriander and lemon peel in a traditional London gin, we have chosen to distil mountain pepper as our signature botanical. Its unusual characteristics appear in the gin without dominating the spirit, and produce a gin with a delightful zing. Pepperberry Gin has now developed quite a following throughout Australia, which led us to produce a soft, triple pot distilled Pepperberry Vodka. The vodka is developed from a moorish malt based spirit, with mountain pepper introduced in the final distillation. TASMANIAN APPLE SCHNAPPS and LIQUEUR The schnapps and liqueur were an obvious choice for the Apple Isle. All Lark products are natural spirits and our apple spirit is distilled from locally made cider using traditional cider apples rich in flavour and tartness. This delivers a crisp, fresh apple spirit without any need to introduce artificial essences. The natural spirit is collected from the heart of the run to produce the straight schnapps, and the same spirit is then broken down and sweetened for the apple liqueur. Again the secret of a good spirit lies in the distillation in a copper pot still and the use of the very best ingredients. TASMANIAN CHERRY MAX Our Cherry Max evolved from the desire to produce a kirsch. The product originates from a cherry wine produced in the Coal River Valley in southern Tasmania for this purpose. Whilst the kirsch lay in vats waiting to be bottled as kirsch, Lyn s father Max experimented by adding fresh dark cherries during the next cherry season and leaving them to soak in the spirit. After three months the cherries were removed, leaving the magnificent naturally coloured spirit which was then broken down with pure water and sweetened to a port style strength of 17% a/v. The resultant product was named Cherry Max in honour of Max Stewart. There is no doubt that spirits distilled in copper pot stills are much softer than other spirits. We believe that leaving the spirit for twelve months before adding the cherries further softens the spirit, making Cherry Max that much more special. Our Product Range ELIZABETH STREET CAMPBELL STREET ARGYLE STREET

4 Explore Lark As the holders of Tasmania s first General Distiller s Licence since 1839, we d love to share with you our experience in the production of Tasmanian malt whisky and our other unique Tasmanian spirits. Here are some of the ways that you can explore Lark: whisky tastings Ask at the bar for a sampling of our wide variety of Lark whisky and other spirits, and hear about their production from our experienced staff, who will assist you in your search for that very special bottle. You can also enjoy a dram of a rare and unusual Scottish single malt whisky from our extensive range. cellar door tour Take in the atmosphere of Hobart s historic waterfront, and go on a cellar door tour of our historic Davey Street premises. Learn about malt whisky under production on a guided tour (including complimentary whisky sample) or simply browse at your convenience. Either way, please enquire about our product tasting at the cellar door counter. Tasmanian whisky experience tour A world first! You will be involved in all aspects of malt whisky production, from digging the peat at Lark Distillery s Brown Marsh Bog to brewing and distilling the whisky spirit. Along the way you will visit our cooperage, and select the wood type from which your barrel will be made. At the end of the tour, you will take home your very own 20 litre barrel of Tasmanian Single Malt Whisky, which you have made, and you will do so with all the knowledge required to produce a premium single malt whisky. Please ask our staff for a brochure. whisky bar with live music Soak up the atmosphere in the Lark Whisky Bar with its huge range of spirits on offer. There s live music on most Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights check with our staff for details. Barrel OFFER To enable us to keep up with demand for our whisky, Lark Distillery operates a successful barrel purchase program. The program is structured to enable purchasers to participate in the production of a world class single malt whisky by sharing in our distillery s future expansion. Opportunities exist for capital growth or outright ownership. Please ask our staff for a Barrel Offer Document, or check our website for more information:

5 Malting Tasmanian barley is converted to malt, and smoked using peat from our very own bog in Tasmania s central highlands. By legal definition, malt whisky can only be produced from malted barley, yeast and water. To add complexity to the whisky the barley may be influenced by peat smoke either during the malting stage or post malting. Peat smoke adds both sweetness and complexity to whiskies, which are often described as being either lightly peated or heavily peated. Like Scotland, Tasmania s cool climate latitude is ideal for growing a high quality brewing barley which produces a high yield potential with a high malt extract and high diastatic power (starch converting enzyme activity). M i x i n g s c i e n c e, a r t a n d p a s s i o n Tasmania has become well known for its Franklin barley and the Gardner varieties. Both malts are high in those important enzymes which, during the brewing process, convert the starches into fermentable sugars necessary to produce alcohol. At Lark Distillery, we purchase our malt from Cascade Brewery, located in Hobart, which is of course very famous for producing world class beers from their own maltings. Malt is created from ripe, green barley grains, soaked or steeped in water for two or three days then removed and allowed to germinate, sprouting tiny shoots and generating heat. After approximately one week or at a critical time when the grain has created sufficient enzymes to make the natural starch in the seeds soluble, the grain is collected and placed in a kiln and dried to halt the germination process. The barley is now known as malt and is ready for brewing. P e a t In a process developed by Lark Distillery, we carefully smoke the malt in our specially built furnace so as not to alter the quality of the malted grain but sufficiently to impart the delicate level of sweetness and smokiness that it is characteristic of Lark s malt whiskies. What is Peat? Peat is a vegetable matter, decomposed by water and partially carbonized by chemical change, often forming bogs such as Brown Marsh Bog, owned by Lark Distillery. Brown Marsh Bog is located in the central highlands of Tasmania in the heartland of our famous trout fishing lakes. Peat obtained for our process is dug from the bog by hand in the traditional method of peat cutting throughout Scotland and is partially dried before use in the kiln.

6 M i x i n g s c i e n c e, a r t a n d p a s s i o n Brewing Lark Distillery uses 300 kg of malted barley to produce around 1200 litres of whisky 7% to 8% a/v. Brewing is the process that creates the very important whisky wash for distillation. This stage is very similar to producing a beer without hops. The malted barley grain is coarsely milled to break down large complex molecules of starch, cellulose and protein in the grain until they are small enough to be soluble in water. This solution, known as grist, is mixed with hot water in a traditional open mash tun to produce a sugary liquid called wort that has the consistency of sloppy, sweet porridge. The wort is drained from the mash tun, separating it from the spent grain, and cooled down to allow the yeast to be added for fermentation. Placed in a washback, the brew ferments vigorously. By the time is has finished fermenting and settled, the resultant whisky wash is ready for the first distillation. m t p l e a s a n t Our brewing operation is located at Mt Pleasant, near Richmond. Our Mt Pleasant distillery, recently constructed, has proved to be both innovative and environmentally friendly, utilising all distilling byproducts to benefit local agriculture. During processing, the cooling water is saved and re-circulated under the building, thus protecting a valuable agricultural resource. The spent grain from the brewing process is given to the adjacent university farm to fatten their very grateful sheep. The yeast lees from the fermentation process are collected and given to a nearby farmer for his equally grateful pigs.

7 M i x i n g s c i e n c e, a r t a n d p a s s i o n Distilling Lark Distillery uses 1200 litres of whisky 7.5% a/v to produce 400 litres of low 25% a/v, which is redistilled in a spirit run to produce around 120 litres of malt whisky spirit 63.4% a/v. Distilling is the ancient art of transforming the wash into spirit, or uisge beatha water of life. Malt whisky is always distilled in two runs, put through two separate copper pot stills. The first distillation is known as the wash run. It is distilled in a wash still, which is usually larger than the second spirit still. The wash still receives the wash from the fermenter, and distillation should recover a spirit at around 25% a/v. This very raw spirit, rich in fatty oils, is known as low wines and requires further distillation. The second distillation is known as the spirit run. This run determines the final character of the spirit, and is of critical importance. This is where art takes over from science. The spirit still is charged with the low wines from the first distillation, combining them with the fores and feints from the previous spirit run. The still is gently heated throughout the run, where the distiller collects three fractions of alcohol fores, heart and feints. The distiller selects the very best heart of the run, which is the beautiful honey, sweet spirit at around 70% a/v, and is the spirit retained for maturation. The fores and feints are collected for redistillation in the next spirit run. This carefully selected heart is then broken down with pure Tasmanian water to 63.4% a/v ready for barrelling and maturation. uisge beatha water of life

8 M i x i n g s c i e n c e, a r t a n d p a s s i o n Maturing Ageing of the spirit in oak casks is one of the most important elements in defining the whisky. We choose to mature our whisky in what is known as small casks or quarter casks 100 litres in volume. We believe this delivers a very smooth, rich malt whisky in a relatively shorter period than whiskies matured in the more common larger casks of between 200 and 500 litres, which can take up to 15 years to mature. Maturation involves both interaction with the oak surface, and also allowing volatile sharp elements to breathe or escape through the wood. Both of these reactions occur faster in a small cask, where the surface area of wood is proportionally much greater than the volume of spirit. At Lark Distillery we find our whisky has reached a very desirable level of maturation after around five years in the quarter casks. During the five years in wood, where the casks expand and contract, the charred inner surface acts to filter the spirit, removing unwanted elements. Evaporation, or the angels share, further helps to remove unwanted sharp esters and aldehydes from the spirit, finally producing the delicate whisky spirit ready for bottling. Small cask ageing, combined with the Tasmanian climate, results in an evaporative loss of around 2.7% per annum. Throughout the malt whisky industry, it has proved beneficial to mature whisky in casks which have previously been used to mature other spirits such as bourbon, sherry or port. These used barrels deliver a desirable background character to the whisky without introducing harsh oak tannins or other unwanted elements present in new oak casks. c o o p e r i n g Lark Distillery operates its own cooperage, where we cut down specially sourced bourbon, sherry and port barrels. The barrels are re-coopered to 100 litres in capacity, then shaved and re-toasted or charred, ready for filling with the heart of the spirit run.