This article explores how Tasmanian whisky makers are innovating to create distinctive flavors in a competitive market. From using sea salt and motion for aging to experimenting with sheep dung for smoking, these producers are going the extra mile to stand out.
Some of Tasmania's 90 whisky distillers are going to great lengths to give their drops a distinct style. Another 10 distilleries are under development in Tasmania, but the industry says there is more than enough room due to the state's reputation for high quality whisky. But one Tasmanian producer reckons it is the ocean that shapes his tipple.
Brewer Michael Briggs ships barrels for 12 months on an abalone boat, crediting the salt air and motion of the waves with giving his whisky a hint of brine. 'That contact with wood is what we're chasing, and certainly the salt air, you can't get it any rawer than that … actually floating around on the sea,' Mr Briggs said. 'To have those influences coming into the spirit has been a testament to the experiment … it's been a really good result,' he added. With more and more distilleries in Tasmania competing in the high-end whisky market, getting noticed is key, according to the president of Tasmania's Whisky Association, Kristy Lark-Booth. 'There are around 80 to 90 distilleries that are sort of producing and out in the market, and there are probably another 10 or so setting up at the moment,' she said. 'We're all competing in the marketplace, so each distillery wants to speak its unique story and unique products.' In the state's south, sixth-generation farmer Peter Bignell is well known for experimental elements in his whisky. 'We started to use sheep dung instead of peat … and we smoke the grain with the burning sheep dung,' Mr Bignell said. 'There are a lot of distilleries coming online, looking for that same market, for those people who like different flavours,' he said. 'One of the things I started, right at the start 14 years ago, was to do rye instead of malt whisky made from barley'
Tasmanian Whisky Craft Spirits Innovation Unique Flavors Experimental Techniques
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