The Guide to the Whiskies of Tasmania July 2015 | Page 8

The stills comprise a 600 L
Lark spirit at rest
spirit still and an 1800 L
wash still but these will be
expanded considerably to
meet increasing demand
for the range of Lark
products which are
becoming increasingly
innovative, without losing their traditional origins of
quality, character and taste. For instance, Lark must be
one of the few whiskies anywhere which has been
matured in a cask previously used for Calvados. Whilst
the core Single Cask Lark at 43% ABV will remain at the
centre of the product range, we can expect to see more
and more of these exciting variations.

Lark Distillery, Hobart
That the name Lark is synonymous with Tasmanian
whisky is a well-accepted fact. Without Lark the
resurrection of whisky distilling on the island may never
have happened. Where Bill Lark led, others followed but
unlike so many pioneers who lead but don’t last, Lark has
remained in the forefront of whisky excellence in
Tasmania.
The Larks have
followed traditional
malt whisky distilling
practices, having sat at
the feet of various
Scottish distillers,
learned quickly and
imitated them to
perfection, only to
become innovators in
The Lark Bar with its Head Barman their own right.

International Recognition

Lark whiskies have won numerous awards and have
consistently been rated highly in a variety of competitions
in Australia and
abroad. Expansion
plans are in the
pipeline backed up by
a group of local
investors, which allows
Bill Lark to play the
role of global brand
Bill Lark at work
ambassador.
As Lark has progressed, so the distillery site has moved
a couple of times and has been at its present location on
farmland at Mt. Pleasant near Hobart since 2006. The
previous site near the harbour-front in Hobart Old Town
is now the Lark Bar and cellar door and is a good place
to start any whisky-related visit to Tasmania.

Not only has this enabled Lark to produce a succession
of award-winning whiskies, but also to be a beacon for
the industry by intuitively using the Lark phenomenon as
an interface with the wider Tasmanian tourism industry.

Unpretentious

The distillery itself is
small, even unpretentious,
but with a high level of
creativity from a young and
boisterous team backing up
the more conservative
father figure of Bill Lark,
who still keeps a weather
eye on things, but now
more grist to the mill
from a comfortable distance.

Franklin barley is grown at the Mt. Pleasant site and
this is sold to Cascade Brewery which, in turn, provides
the malt for Lark. A cosy arrangement which can only
really exist in a place like Tasmania!

The copper stills, of relatively modest capacity, are
worked relentlessly, such is the demand for the product,
which is matured largely in hundred litre casks for a
variety of periods but never for less than three years.

If you can visit only one whisky entity on a trip to
Tasmania, make sure it's Lark.

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