Lark releases Batch 003 Mizunara Oak Cask

Pioneering whisky producer Lark Distilling Co. has released the third batch in its Rare Cask Series, featuring single malt whisky finished in Japanese Mizunara oak casks.

Batch 003 is made from spirit distilled at Lark’s Cambridge facility and matured in 200-litre ex-bourbon barrels for five to seven years. The final spirit was then finished in Mizunara oak casks sourced from Japan. The whisky contains an average peat content of 30 per cent, consistent with Lark’s traditional style.

The Mizunara oak used for finishing is notable for its limited availability. Mizunara trees typically take more than 200 years to mature to a usable size, and Japanese regulations prohibit the harvesting of trees under 80 years old. These constraints make the oak particularly rare in cask production.

Lark employs a post-malt smoking process for its barley, which arrives pre-malted at the distillery. The distillery smokes two tonnes of malted barley using 100kg of Tasmanian peat. The whisky is fermented for seven days to allow for ester development, trading efficiency for flavour development.

The final product shows characteristics commonly associated with Mizunara oak, including sandalwood, coconut and spice, along with fruit and botanical notes developed during maturation and finishing.

Tasting notes describe a nose with “layers of coconut and gentle sandalwood sweetness, followed by maple baked pears, with a hint of heather honey,” a palate of “peaches and cream leading into soft botanic oak and subtle crystallised ginger, rounded out by sticky caramelised banana,” and then “orange zest panna cotta unfurls into chocolate coated coffee bean, with lingering pastry cream and a wisp of white pepper,” to finish.

The Batch 003 Mizunara Oak Cask release continues Lark’s move into 700ml bottles and carries a 46 per cent ABV and a $1000 RRP.