Tassie whisky aims high

A Tasmanian whisky producer is hoping to ride on a global thirst for luxury spirits by launching the region’s most expensive ever bottling.

Sullivan’s Cove has released just two bottles of its $10,000 (£4,700) whisky, which has been called Sullivans Cove Manifesto. Described as “the ultimate expression of whisky-making excellence”, the single malt has been matured in French oak casks, including some of the same casks whose previous bottlings have achieved particularly high critical acclaim.

The whisky has then been packaged in 6kg, 1,550ml decanters, handmade by Tasmanian glass sculptors Anne Clifton and Peter Bowles. Both decanters come with their own bespoke glass “spirit thief” and a sample-sized bottle of the same whisky, as well as a hand-moulded “travel” cork stopper embellished with Tasmanian Huon pine and a matching glass stopper for “everyday” use. The set is housed in Huon pine cases lined with doeskin.

Sullivans Cove is offering one of these decanters for sale at its cellar door or online, while the other has been listed at Australian drinks retailer Dan Murphy’s Double Bay branch in Sydney.

The distillery’s sales & marketing manager Bert Cason marked this launch as a major moment in the short history of this producer, which was established in 1994.

“Sullivans Cove and Tasmanian whisky in general have come a very long way and we wanted to create something really special that captures this,” he explained.

“Using whisky from our top awarded casks plus some of our finest unreleased casks, we’ve created a malt that stands head and shoulders above the rest and promises the connoisseur the treat of a lifetime, not to mention a slice of whisky history.”

Despite its hefty price tag, Sullivans Cove Manifesto falls some way short of the most expensive spirits sold in recent times. Earlier this year a 6-litre decanter of The Macallan took the world record for the most expensive whisky ever sold at auction when it attracted a US$628,000 (£400,000) bid during a sale in Hong Kong.