Whisky review: The evolution of Lark single malt whisky

Luke McCarthy -
Whisky Reviews
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On tasting: Lark Classic Cask, Lark Cask Strength, Lark Revolution Release RR13, Lark Revolution Release RR15, Heartwood Epiphany at the Lakes, Dark Valley Whisky Ravens Rest and Lark 20th Anniversary Bottling

Over the last six years, the Lark whisky story has been quite a saga. What was once a very homey, personable small-scale distillery and bar, run by founders and knowledgeable whisky folk, has morphed into a curated whisky brand owned by a corporate entity.

Change was always inevitable – Bill and Lyn had to step away eventually. But the mess created by Australian Whisky Holdings has certainly dampened a lot of people’s enthusiasm for the brand.

For those of us who got to experience the hospitality, warmth and generosity of those earlier times (and I only first visited in 2012), and the distinctive, transparent and singular whiskies released during that period, it’s hard not to feel a little nostalgic.

I bring up this history because it’s frequently overshadowed the development of Lark whisky in recent years, particularly the work of head distiller Chris Thomson, who’s been one of the important constants at the distillery over the last decade.

Ultimately, I’d just like to get back to talking about and tasting what got us all down to Tassie in the first place – the whisky.

 

Lark Distillery and Cellar Door, Davey Street, Hobart –  Supplied

How has Lark whisky evolved over the last ten years? It’s not the easiest question to answer these days, because the early Lark bottlings are now so limited and sought-after.

In reality, there’s probably three main periods in the evolution of Lark whisky:

The Cottage Period (1992-2005): distilling progresses from the Lark’s home to the old bakery in Richmond, to the cellar door/distillery in Davey Street; the first Lark whisky, a three year old, is released in December 1998.

The Launch Period (2006-2014): the distillery in Cambridge is constructed; Lark single malt develops serious complexity and wins its first major international awards; Bill and Lyn sell 75% of their shares in the business in 2013.

The Corporate Period (2014-present): management under Australian Whisky Holdings; the acquisition of Overeem, Nant and a stake in Old Kempton; the boardroom brawls, now resolved, with a clearer path emerging.

Today, when reviewing Lark whiskies, you certainly feel the weight of their impact. Bill and Lyn have profoundly influenced the production of Australian spirits – this is where it all started for so many of the current leaders of the industry.

 

 

Lark core range, circa 2012 – Supplied

So where to begin? It’s daunting, particularly when, just between the Oz Whisky Review team, we’ve probably tried around 150 different Lark whiskies. From ex-rum matured Larks, ex-apple brandy, ex-stout, ex-cider, Lark matured on ships, the personal casks, the Heartwood bottlings.

But you’ve got to start somewhere, and here I’ve narrowed it down to a tasting of seven Lark whiskies released over the last eight years. From the current core range bottlings, to The Revolution Release series, through to anniversary releases and independent bottlings – I’ve tried to look at Lark spirit in different barrels and get a feel for the various approaches taken with maturation and cask selection.

It was an awesome exercise (but not the cheapest), and it’ll be the first of many reviews as we try to build a picture of the evolution of Lark whisky over the last two decades.

 

  • Lark Classic Cask (current bottling)
    The Stats
    • ABV: 43%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt whisky
    • Production Story: Starts with malted barley from Joe White maltings (previously Cascade). 50% of the malt is peated at Lark using their post-malt smoking process with peat from sourced from Brown Marsh bog. Malt is mashed and fermented onsite (7 day ferment) and then double distilled in Knapp Lewer pot stills. The Classic Cask, first released in 2015, is drawn from a variety of casks, predominately 100 litre ex-tawny, although a variety of other casks and sizes have also been used in the past.
    • Location: Cambridge, TAS
    • Score: 87
    Nose
    Prominent malt and cereal upfront, almost bready, and then toffee, dried apricots, and a gentle waft of camphor and peat smoke. With time, orange rind, pudding and raspberry jam as the tawny influence opens up.
    Palate
    Slight prickle and heat (also there on the nose), but then it quickly coats the palate with that rich, viscous cereal drive. The tawny influence is prominent, fairly dry and tannic (head distiller Chris Thomson refers to this as 'bitterness'), but there's just enough sweetness - the classic fruitcake note - to keep it balanced.
    Finish
    Not quite as long as I remember (guess this is where the 'breakfast whisky' tag comes from?), but holds that malty, lingering tawny note.
    Comments
    The consistency of the Classic Cask has certainly improved in the last two years. Full credit to the distilling and blending team, who've done a brilliant job refining this expression. There was a period where it was a bit all over the place batch to batch, and you struggled to discern the 'classic' DNA and structure - the big malt, the hint of smoke, and that Christmas cake woodiness. For some, the woodiness, amplified by small cask maturation in the tin shed, really smothers what is a very big and complex new make spirit. For others, the balance between the tawny/tannin and the booming malt drive has become synonymous with Tasmanian malt whisky. However you look at it, the Classic Cask, and the various 'core range' single casks that preceded it, have profoundly influenced the dozens of Australian malt whiskies that have followed.
  • Lark Cask Strength (current bottling)
    The Stats
    • ABV: 58%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt whisky
    • Production Story: Virtually the same as the Classic Cask, but diluted to 58%.
    • Location: Cambridge, TAS
    • Score: 86
    Nose
    A little hot and woody (not just the abv), but that eventually blows off and all the classic butterscotch, toast and jammy fruit comes through. Again, pronounced malt character, but there's also heavy wine and wood on this bottling.
    Palate
    Quite dry and earthy initially, and then a big whack of tawny. Much more creamy and fruity with the addition of water.
    Finish
    Big finish, but quite tart and tannic, with residual wine and burnt cake.
    Comments
    It's hard not to compare this to some of those stonkingly good early LD cask strength whiskies in the tall bottles. Like those, there's still variation batch to batch, but this one leaned a little too far to the oaky side for me (be great if each batch was still identified on the label so you could compare and contrast). I found it really improved with water, which is a great complement - finding your own sweet spot has always been part of the fun with Lark's cask strength bottlings.
  • Lark The Revolution Release RR13
    The Stats
    • ABV: 67.1%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt whisky
    • Production Story: From Lark's 25th anniversary The Revolution Release series. Chris Thomson had laid down 25 experimental 20 litre casks, and these were then bottled at natural cask strength and presented with tastings around Australia to celebrate the anniversary. Whisky from RR13 was initially given a long 14 day ferment and matured in an ex-Seppelstfield tawny cask for 2 years and 9 months.
    • Location: Cambridge, TAS
    • Score: 77
    Nose
    Big and hot. Fruitcake, cinnamon, but very earthy and oaky. Old wood, leather, allspice, and while the malt and fruit are there, they're pretty well hidden under all that wood.
    Palate
    Ooff, a lotta heat. Really quite astringent and herbal, with licorice and aniseed. Water is a must here, helps to bring out maple syrup, Wrigley's Big Red and allows that plum pudding note to surface.
    Finish
    Big oak, big tawny, dry and bitter.
    Comments
    This whole series of whiskies was such a bold and fun experiment by Chris Thomson. But they were definitely hit and miss. With this bottling, there's some great flavours, and it improves with water, but it's overcooked for me - a bit too tannic and raw.
  • Lark The Revolution Release RR15
    The Stats
    • ABV: 69.3%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt whisky
    • Production Story: Another bottling from The Revolution Release series. RR15 was also given a 14 day ferment, but this time the spirit was matured in an ex-Maker's Mark barrel for four years.
    • Location: Cambridge, TAS
    • Score: 85
    Nose
    Geez, it's huge. Lots of extraction from the cask, bringing on lemon oil, grapefruit and vanilla slice. Slightly bitter and herbal, green apple, mint and then just a hint of smoke.
    Palate
    Seriously oily and creamy, sort of a cornflakes, pearl barley character. Nice interplay between confectionery sweetness and bitter ginseng from the oak.
    Finish
    Numbing. Russian caravan and subtle peat.
    Comments
    Massive and hugely flavourful, but there's so much oak on this - shows you how tough Lark spirit is to hold up in a 20 litre cask for four years. Water definitely brings out more sweetness and creaminess if you ever get to try this rare juice.
  • Heartwood Epiphany at the Lakes
    The Stats
    • ABV: 66.7%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt whisky
    • Production Story: Distilled in August 2005 and filled into LD195 and LD196 and then aquired by Tim Duckett. Initially spent 4 years in tawny casks and was then transferred to an ex-Bourbon cask for a further six years maturation. Bottled November 2015. 240 bottles total.
    • Location: Cambridge, TAS
    • Score: 91
    Nose
    Earthy, sweet and oaky, like eucalyptus after rain. American oak really sticks out, and then toffee, macadamia, orange, peaches and a slight pepper and spice. Genuinely floral like white flowers (rare for a Lark whisky), and the peat's a subtle perfume underneath it all.
    Palate
    Super creamy, and again, lifted floral and citrus notes and a hint of ginger and cashews. The smoke is more pronounced on the palate, and the malt and tawny round it off.
    Finish
    Yum. Very long, and insanely drinkable for the abv.
    Comments
    This has never been one of Duckett's most lauded bottlings, but I've always thought it's one of his most impressive, particularly because it's not soaked in syrupy oak. We've been arguing for years about refill casks, but here, he actually lends credence to my point. I also think, contrary to popular belief, that Lark spirit can taste great in ex-Bourbon casks (200 litre casks), particularly if it's left for long enough to give the spirit time to mellow, which is exactly why this bottling is so complex and floral. Love to see ex-Bourbon cask Lark at 8-12 years, but obviously the economics would be tricky.
  • Dark Valley Whisky Ravens Rest
    The Stats
    • ABV: 60.3%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt whisky
    • Production Story: Distilled at Lark Distillery on 5/11/2014. Filled into a 20 litre apera cask for Alex Moores' Dark Valley Whisky label and matured for just over 2.5 years. 32 bottles total.
    • Location: Cambridge, TAS
    • Score: 86
    Nose
    Bit closed at first, but opens up into bananas, confectionery, citrus and berries, and there's also a slightly savoury, salty, meaty character.
    Palate
    Really comes together on the palate. The apera works brilliantly with the big malt cereal drive. Cinnamon, brioche, and that classic fruitcake apera richness rubs up nicely against the savoury elements.
    Finish
    Quite long, nice structure, good balance of flavours.
    Comments
    Lovely interplay between dry, sweet and savoury. The 20 litre cask doesn't dominate the spirit, and it holds the high abv really well. Lark have always favoured tawny over apera casks, feeling the tawny works better with their spirit. And while I see their point, I've also really enjoyed the subtlety and nuance of Lark apera cask whiskies over the years. That's what independents like Dark Valley are great for.
  • Lark 20th Anniversary Bottling
    The Stats
    • ABV: 50.6%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt whisky
    • Production Story: Bottled in 2012 for the 20th anniversary of Lark distilling. 150 of the distillery's single barrel releases from the previous 20 years were married into Seppeltsfield's Para Port Barrel #1 - the barrel Joseph Seppelt himself filled in 1878, designated a national treasure. 500 bottles total.
    • Location: Cambridge, TAS
    • Score: 92
    Nose
    Absolute pudding in a glass. Stewed fruits, candied ginger, euchalypt, and thick raspberry jam. The smoke's there underneath, but it's all about the spicy, woody sweetness here.
    Palate
    Palate follows the nose. Spice and camphor are more prevalent, but still so much syrup, nuttiness and dark fruitcake. Importantly, there's still balance here - the malt and sweetness hold up to the tannin extracted from the oak.
    Finish
    Long and delicious.
    Comments
    Historic stuff. I first tried this in a tasting in 2016, and on revisiting it recently, it's still up there with some of the best Lark's I've tried. I love the abv - I think a lot of Lark drinks brilliantly around that point. Always been a little bit surprised this didn't got more praise at the time (maybe no-one opened them?).
How We Score
Luke McCarthy
Luke McCarthy is the editor and publisher of Oz Whisky Review. An independent writer, author and drinks columnist, Luke's written about whisky and spirits for numerous Australian and international publications and is a judge at the Australian Distilled Spirits Awards. His book, The Australian Spirits Guide, the first to tackle the history and resurgence of the Australian spirits industry, was published in 2016 by Hardie Grant Books.