Year of the Dragon: Lark’s ‘whisky bank’ at critical mass to finally crack the Asian export market
Lying in wait in barrels across Tasmania sits some 2.4 million litres of liquid gold. Lark’s “whisky bank” is now officially big enough for export. Find out more from pioneer Bill Lark.
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Lying in wait in barrels across Tasmania sits some 2.4 million litres of smooth but fiery liquid gold.
The huge inventory is the culmination of 12 years of work and planning – to grow Lark Distilling Co’s “whisky bank” big enough for export.
Industry pioneer Bill Lark said 2024 was the year for Lark to crack the Asian market.
On Friday, he officially launched a limited release, Oriental-themed single malt, Dragon, which will explode its fiery breath in time for Lunar New Year.
Mr Lark said he first started planning to export his whisky back in 2011, when he visited Fujian province in China to “test the water”.
“They loved it and I knew then what we had to do was come back and strengthen the company and build the inventory, to be in the happy place we are today,” he said.
He said Dragon was slightly higher in strength than Lark’s classic cask, and was aged in first-fill sherry and port casks before being finished in Seppeltsfield tawny casks.
“It’s the Year of the Dragon and the dragon does have some authority about it,” he said.
“The year is all about authority, prosperity and good fortune – and I think that’s all coming together very nicely for the Lark Distillery and its release into the market.”
Lark chief financial officer Iain Short said the company’s inventory – currently being matured in a number of bonded warehouses across Tasmania – had now doubled compared to just two years ago.
He said historically, Tasmanian whisky had been unable to crack export markets due to a lack of stock.
“It’s only at the point now where we have sufficient inventory to scale,” he said.
“Whisky takes time to mature.
“There have been some small-scale exports in the past, but for Lark we’re really going to be looking to explode that growth.”
Mr Short said 2024 would be a key year for Tasmanian whisky, which he said had the right to be recognised as a single malt pioneer along with its Scottish and Japanese cousins.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff said Lark’s story was an example of Tasmanian brands that were now being picked up internationally – and of the government’s plans to grow the state’s exports to $15 billion by 2050.
“We’ve had enormous growth over the course of the past few years, and that’s really down to Tasmanians doing extraordinary things, whether it’s whiskies, gins, viticulture, foods, cheese and produce,” he said.
“The world wants what Tasmania can produce.”
Some 4488 bottles of Lark Dragon, which has a strength of 46.8 per cent, are now available at selected locations worldwide at a cost of $358 each.
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Originally published as Year of the Dragon: Lark’s ‘whisky bank’ at critical mass to finally crack the Asian export market
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