At the new Sullivans Cove Distillery, there’s a striking contrast between the industrial surrounds and the plush interior of the cellar door. The home of Tasmania’s world-beating single malt whisky is located in a commercial hub in Cambridge. Travellers arriving at the nearby airport would normally zip past this area of greater Hobart on their 20-minute drive to the city.

But step inside, and you’re greeted by a warm, luxurious 100-seat theatre of whisky-making. Designed by Yaron Kanor from Melbourne’s Studio Y, its minimalist lines, creamy tones and walnut-panel finishes mirror the experience of tasting Sullivans Cove. Refined, meticulous, esoteric, the new space is a must-visit for anyone with even a passing interest in whisky.

This is, after all, the distillery that conquered the world on March 21, 2014. On that day, a bottle from Sullivans Cove French Oak Single Cask HH0525 won World’s Best Single Malt at the prestigious World Whiskies Awards in London. It was the first time a whisky made outside of Scotland or Japan had taken the accolade. We can debate the merits of “world’s best” awards, but the influence of that win is undeniable. It catapulted Sullivans Cove and the fledgling Tasmanian whisky industry onto the world stage.

A decade later, Sullivans Cove has become Australia’s most coveted, most enigmatic, most fanatically collected whisky. The rare and expensive bottles still sell out instantly upon release, leaving the broader public with few opportunities to discover why Sullivans Cove has become so sought-after by enthusiasts worldwide.

The recent unveiling of the refurbished $14 million distillery, which coincided with Sullivans Cove’s 30th anniversary, will help change that. A grand ceremony marked the occasion as 100 guests were spellbound by music from the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. Lighting, reminiscent of installations at Mona or Dark Mofo, illuminated the proceedings. The event went beyond marking a milestone – it was a statement of intent.

“At Sullivans Cove, every detail matters,” said Adam Sable, the distillery’s managing director, as he opened the ceremony. Sable’s Melbourne-based family business purchased Sullivans Cove in 2016, marking the beginning of new era – the fourth so far. Each one is distinguished by new owners and subtle differences in production methods.

The evening was emceed by Miranda Lidgerwood, Sullivans Cove’s marketing and sensory specialist, and a Whisky & Alement alum. Throughout the night, she talked guests through canapés paired with the oldest and rarest whiskies from the distillery’s archive, revealing a liquid tour of Sullivans Cove’s history.

The Sullivans Cove Double Cask 30th Anniversary, a cellar-door exclusive available for a fairly reasonable $300 (by Sullivans Cove standards), was the first whisky presented. The oldest component in this whisky, distilled in 1999, was aged for 23 years. The youngest component, distilled in 2017, was aged for six years in cask SC0348 from the Sullivans Cove Distillery era (2016–now). The remaining whiskies were drawn from the company’s Highland Holdings (1994–2004) and Tasmania Distillery eras (2004–2016) to create an intriguing balance of flavours: herbal spices meld with funky tropical fruits and dense chocolate and raisin notes.

The obscure information is there on the label tag that accompanies every bottle of Sullivans Cove. Deciphering the codes reveals how and when each whisky, often drawn from a single cask yielding only a few hundred bottles, was created. It’s this traceability that has seen famed Sullivans Cove bottlings from yesteryear command thousands of dollars when sold at auction or by secondary retailers.

Patrick Maguire was the man who spearheaded this bottle design and created the Sullivans Cove core range – Double Cask, French Oak and American Oak – today’s fans are familiar with. Since the 1990s, Maguire has been a key figure in the modern revival of Tasmania’s whisky industry. From 2004 to 2016, he co-owned and managed Sullivans Cove, working alongside pioneering brands including Lark, Overeem, Hellyers Road and Belgrove to establish Tasmania’s reputation for crafting exceptional whisky.

“It’s definitely an upgrade,” Maguire said at the distillery opening, reflecting on Sullivans Cove’s humble origins with a wry smile. “But it’s fantastic to have a cellar door experience that now matches the quality of the whisky.”

When Maguire moved on to found Maguire & Co. Bottlers and Distillers in 2022, Heather Tillott took over as distillery manager. Tillott trained as a winemaker before switching to distilling. Her technical knowledge, obsessive attention to detail and remarkable palate for cask selection and blending has elevated Sullivans Cove to an even higher level of complexity and consistency.

Under Tillott’s direction, the fastidious Sullivans Cove process will be enhanced by the new distillery fit-out. For the first time, mashing and fermentation to create the initial beer or “wash” for whisky making will happen on-site (this part of the process was previously conducted by third party brewers).

“This is where you start creating the flavours that will be there decades later,” Tillott said when showing off the new brewing kit. “The newly upgraded facility allows us to lean into our unique production practices and work more efficiently, but not in a cold, clinical way. There are aspects of the production process that we deliberately slow down.”

The slow processes referred to are on show in the three polished pot stills that distil Sullivans Cove spirit. Two of these are brand new and were built by Forsyths in Scotland, revered as one of the world’s leading still makers. Their traditional design replicates “Myrtle”, the original pot still, and creates the rich, robust, oily spirit characteristics that have become synonymous with Sullivans Cove.

As maturation slowly works its magic on the spirit, that initial raw canvas of flavour is refined into the older whiskies the distillery is revered for. These 18- and 20-plus-year-old expressions retail for between $1800 and $2500 – assuming you can secure a bottle in the ballot contested by whisky fanatics from across the globe.

The global whisky scene has certainly taken notice. Some of the world’s leading commentators have likened the rise of Australian whisky to the ascent of Japan’s whisky industry over the last two decades. If that’s the trajectory, Sullivans Cove will undoubtedly lead the charge.

For those of us unable to invest big dollars in luxury whisky, a visit to the Sullivans Cove Distillery is a more accessible option. Guided tastings start at $30, with the full tour and tasting available for $70. Currently, there are no other food or beverage offerings at the cellar door – a curious omission – but the singular focus here is firmly on the whisky. It’s yet another statement of Sullivans Cove’s intent to redefine the Tasmanian whisky experience.

Sullivans Cove Distillery

1/10 Lamb Place, Cambridge

(03) 6248 5399

Hours

Daily 10am–4.30pm

sullivanscove.com