Lark 2016
Style: Single Cask
Cask: #1244
Year of distillation: 2016
Bottled: 2021
Age: 4
Region: Tasmania
Cask Type: Barrel
No. of bottles: 373
ABV: 60.2%
Release: Summer 2021
Ronnie Cox
“I’ve known Bill Lark since 2003 when I visited Australia for the 1st-ever Whisky Convention and sampled his early product. Reassuringly familiar this 2016 dram from Tasmania is delightful with a mossy forest undercarpet, gentle spice and oodles of vanilla on the nose whilst the palate is creamy, fresh, subtle, well-balanced and long-lasting.”
Tasting Notes
This is a vatting of three 100 litre casks, married especially for Berry Bros. & Rudd. Citrus fruits abound on the nose, giving way to softer fruits, such as peach and apricot, and aromas suggestive of an older whisky – leather and a touch of tobacco. The palate is powerful yet subtle. Notes of vanilla and spice from its hot climate maturation. But behind this, there are layers of complex fruits and malty notes: lychee, strawberry jam and jackfruit. The finish would suggest a much older whisky, with musty fruity notes lingering long on the back palate. A joy to drink, or stash in the cellar for years to come.
Distillery
Founded in 1992 by Bill Lark, the godfather of Australian craft distilling, Lark is famous for its experimentation with yeast and barley. Undoubtedly one of the Grand Crus of the global whisky movement, independent bottlings of Lark are exceptionally rare.
