Sullivans Cove announces landmark single cask whisky release

Sullivans Cove Distillery has announced the release of one of the oldest Australian single malt whiskies to ever be bottled, 24 Year Old American Oak Apera Finish Single Cask Nº HH000.

Marking one of the most limited bottlings in Sullivans Cove’s history, the single malt was first filled into a 300-litre American Oak cask in October 1999 where it matured for 17 years.

The whisky was then transferred into a 225-litre American Oak ex-Apera cask in September 2017, where it finished for a further seven years – being the first time the Tasmanian distillery has undertaken a finishing process for a whisky of this age, and the first time it has used an American Oak ex-Apera cask for finishing.

Bringing together the elements of two distinct casks after a maturation that spanned more than two decades, the whisky was finally bottled in October 2024, 30 years after the distillery first launched, at 51.1 per cent ABV.

Heather Tillott, Distillery Manager, says: “Vanilla-laden oak, meaty and robust spirit from a bygone era, and the fun fruit of Apera, have co-created pure brilliance under the unrushed guardianship of Sullivans Cove’s guiding palates.

“And yes, while this is a single cask finished in Apera, what has unfolded is not merely a finish – it’s a complete integration, where spirit and cask have truly married.”

Tasting notes for the bold, full-bodied Sullivans Cove whisky describe aromas of chocolate, coconut, golden raisins, baking apples and nougat, leading into a layered palate of chocolate, spice, gamey richness and bright citrus, with a subtle influence from its final seven years in ex-Apera oak casks.

“Impeccably balanced, unmistakably Sullivans. And then, there’s the age-felt in the body, the texture, the citrus, the gamey notes. Telling of its time, and all the better for it,” Tillott added.