Sullivans Cove, Australia’s most awarded whisky distillery, has released a 17 Year Old French Oak ex-Tawny Single Cask bottled at 61.3% ABV cask strength. The expression, limited to just 343 bottles globally, marks the first French oak cask strength release in the Tasmanian distillery’s Old & Rare series.
Filled in July 2008 and matured for over 17 years, the single cask release is presented unfiltered and at full volume. Cask strength releases remain exceptionally rare at Sullivans Cove.
“This was a cask that demanded very little intervention,” said Heather Tillott, distillery manager at Sullivans Cove. “After more than seventeen years in French oak, it had developed remarkable depth and composure, and bottling it at cask strength allowed us to share it exactly as we encountered it in the warehouse.”
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READ THE STORY“Releases like this are rare for Sullivans Cove, but when a cask shows this level of character and resonance, it deserves to be experienced in its fullest form,” Tillott added.
French oak ex-tawny maturation holds particular significance for the distillery. A Sullivans Cove French Oak single cask made history in 2014 when it became the first whisky from a distillery outside Scotland and Japan to be named World’s Best Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards. The distillery went on to win World’s Best again in 2018 and 2019.
Founded in 1994 in Hobart, Tasmania, Sullivans Cove has built its reputation on single cask releases using local ingredients and an unhurried approach to maturation.
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Each bottle of the 17 year old is presented in a handcrafted solid blackwood box and includes a personal letter from Tillott.
Official tasting notes from the brand describe the nose as featuring “grapefruit skin, old Barossa Tawny depth, glace pineapple, candied apple, walnuts, and Sullivans Cove’s signature waxy, snuffed-candle character.” The palate is “full-bodied and oily, with kumquat, green apple, lychee, and gentle mint.” The finish offers “choc-orange, jasmine, borage, shortbread, gingerbread, musky rose petals, and Pu’erh tea.”
Tillott described the liquid as “a rich, dark, and complex single cask, where bold cask influence meets a naturally full spirit.” She added: “Every component stands confidently, yet harmoniously, making this a compelling, multi-dimensional whisky.”
The release is available exclusively via sullivanscove.com through a ballot system. CEO Andy Gaunt and Tillott are both available for further comment.
