The Story

The Devil’s Distillery, or Hobart Whisky, as it’s more commonly referred to, was first established in 2014. The distillery is the passion project of Hobart businessman Rocky Caccavo and his father Ralph. Immigrating to Australia in 1954 when he was just 11, Ralph Caccavo and his family have built up an extensive array of Tasmanian businesses ranging from property and construction to seafood export, markets and the production of specialty Tasmanian foods and goods.

Ralph sadly passed away earlier this year, but with the same entrepreneurial spirit as his father, Rocky sensed the Tasmanian whisky and spirits industry was approaching a boom time and wanted to get involved.

The distillery was constructed in an old industrial warehouse in the northern Hobart suburb of Moonah, once the home of ‘Tasmanian Eggs Farms’, as the sign still reads today. It went through a curious foundational phase with distiller Brian Hinson, and while initial whisky stocks matured, a number of different spirits and liqueurs were released under sister business Tasmanian Moonshine Company, which still operates alongside the Hobart Whisky brand today.

But when current distillery manager John Jarvis took the reins, the distillery and its whisky program established a clearer profile among the dozens of emerging Tasmanian whisky brands.

Jarvis came to the job from a marketing background, and he still works for the Caccavo Group across a number of different businesses while also managing the distillery (we don’t know how he does it). But with Hobart Whisky, Jarvis has been given free reign, and he’s since carved out a distinctive profile for the brand which has often run counter to the rest of the Tasmanian industry.

Initially, the distillery sourced wort externally, mostly from Moo Brew. But from 2017, brewing and fermentation was moved in-house, aided by current head distiller Ben James, who’s also a passionate brewer.

The first Hobart Whisky was released in August 2018, and was notable as a fully matured ex-Bourbon cask whisky in a state renowned for cask-driven fortified bombs. The spirit profile was also somewhat unique in Tasmania. Through a single 1800 litre Knapp Lewer pot still, the team take a tighter cut with their spirit runs, producing a more fruit-driven and refined new make that, for one, works perfectly in ex-Bourbon casks. It also seems to require less time in cask to hit its straps, ideal in Australia’s accelerated maturation climate.

Beyond this more traditionally Scottish approach, Jarvis has been happy to play around and experiment with innovative cask finishes. Alongside the standard ex-tawny, apera and Spanish sherry cask finished whiskies, Jarvis has finished Hobart Whisky in casks that previously held pinot noir, rosé, tokaji, rum, stout, red ale, ginger beer, cherry liqueurs, even maple syrup.

The core range Hobart Whisky The Signature was then released in 2020, an ex-Bourbon cask matured offering that is among Tasmania’s most consistent and composed flagship bottlings.

Today, the vast majority of Hobart Whisky begins its life in 100 and 200 litre ex-Bourbon casks. Around 90 per cent of the casks in the bond store are ex-Bourbon, while dozens of other casks, predominately for finishing, will continue to be used in future.

In November 2022, Pedro Ximénez Solera was also added to the core range, where a portion of the distillery’s PX solera is siphoned off for each batch.

There are plans to move the distillery to a prettier location with a permanent cellar door offering. But for the moment, Jarvis and the team are happy to stay somewhat under the radar and continue to find fans with their creative and down to earth approach.