Time to go local again, albeit inter-state, shifting a bit to our south east, with the Larks! The Larks have been going at it for a while now, since 1989 and were pivotal with the rebuttal and subsequent amendment to the anti-distillation laws that have held strong since 1839. Thirty seven odd years might seem something of a blip considering some of the Scottish or Irish behemoths, but to me this “amateurish, nascent distillery” has been able to weave innovative, new age and yet traditional style whisky making into their DNA.

The Classic Cask forms part of the distilleries’ core, the one that kicked it all. The Classic might not have an age to it, but has been matured in a combination of  first fill sherry and tawny port casks. The distillery associates itself with peat a bit differently – not to halt the malting process as the Scots typically do. The distillery leverages Tasmanian peat to cold smoke their malted barley over an extended period of time, giving it a more rounded, less intense and subtle layering.

ABV : 43%

Eye : Chestnut Oloroso Sherry| Natural Colouring

Nose : Caramel drizzled over smoked melons, raisins, bay leaves, cinnamon with a pinch of ginger. There’s wood and white pepper, a bit of herbal, earthy tones combined with leathery notes.

Taste : Light notes of caramel, honeydew, smoke and char but with a sweeter syrupy undertone. There’s dried fruits, peaches and vanilla shortbread; with a variety of spices, bay leaves, cloves, and pepper.

Finish : Medium | Vanilla with woody notes, dried fruits and tropical nuances with a rich sweetness.

The Classic hosts all the traditional flavours but with a spicy smack topped with peaty influences. It’s well bodied, with good viscosity and a lovely mouth feel. The peat is ever present but holds restraint, every sip is overlaid with earthy, leathery notes that add dimension, and the herbal, ginger like spice tying all the bits together. There’s breadth, however depth seems to be a bit of a miss here.

At AUD $190 for 500ml, this is a dear dram, pocket pinching and expensive. But it is a well crafted, harmonious whisky that sings, and I mean sings! Lark usually hits the mark and so has this one. I can forgive the minor setbacks as the whisky widely outpaces its weaknesses with its many inherent layers. This isn’t your daily dram but is a lil something – something to treat yourself every once in a while!

Preference : Neat or possibly with a single block of ice. A few drops of water might also open up the whisky.

Slainte Mhath!