Spring Bay Distillery

Spring Bay Distillery on Tasmania’s stunning east coast has long been one of the island’s most respected small-scale producers. Since its founding in 2015, this family-owned distillery has been producing high-quality single malt whiskies and other spirits from Tasmanian barley. Founders Suzy and Cam Brett are stalwarts of the Tasmanian craft distilling scene, helping to foster a sense of community there, and their passion for Australian whisky is abundantly clear. Their approach to whisky is to let the spirit shine rather than overpower it with heavy cask character, and they have pioneered the use of less common cask styles, such as Australian Chardonnay. The results are evident in their well-balanced, perfumed, and malt-forward whiskies. Spring Bay releases its flagship single malts as single-cask releases, meaning they each express their own individual character rather than being blended into a consistent flavour profile. Some will see that as a risk, while others will see it as a key advantage for craft over commercial spirits, and a good reason to keep coming back. Having outgrown its original distillery site in Spring Bay, production now primarily takes place near Hobart, but you can still visit the cellar door at Spring Beach for a tasting if you’re up that way. The central production facility in Cambridge is also open by appointment for tours and the opportunity to hand-fill bottles directly from the cask. You can also find Spring Bay at the Salamanca Markets in Hobart every Saturday. -FRED SIGGINS