WelcomeOld Hobart Distillery is a boutique distillery located in Tasmania producing hand-crafted whiskies and other spirits. Our whisky is made from the finest ingredients Tasmania has to offer with barley to rival the finest in the world and water recognised as the cleanest. Our Overeem Single Malt Whisky is creating great interest to discerning palates the world over. If we can be of further assistance please Contact Us – we'd love to hear from you. |
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About UsIn order to understand the Old Hobart Distillery, a little history of distilling in Tasmania needs to be explained. So pour yourself a wee dram, get comfortable and read on… It all started in 1822 when Thomas Haigh Midwood established the first legal whisky distillery in Van Diemen’s Land, later known as Tasmania. By 1824 there were 16 legal distilleries operating on the island and the industry seemed secure, however Governor John Franklin put an end to it all in 1838 by prohibiting all distilling. 
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That was basically that, until the early 1990s when a few visionary people started dreaming of what could be, given Tasmania’s natural advantages of excellent barley, pure water, clean air and ideal climate. Tasmania is already well known for its high quality beef, cheese, wine, beer, seafood, wool and other products - so why not whisky? The main visionary Bill Lark, of Lark Distillery, lobbied the government to amend the Distillation Act of 1901 to allow small-scale distilleries to operate. Casey Overeem continued experimenting with stills and the production of whisky. Old Hobart Distillery is a family-owned business, with operations headed by Casey Overeem. Casey’s interest in the industry started back in the early 1980s when he had his first experience of distilling at a relative’s house in Norway. “Many people had micro-distilleries in their cellars and I really admired them, so I started experimenting when I got home” said Casey. After much research, realisation dawned that Tasmania offers the perfect climate and ingredients for the production of single malt whisky. Following years of research and experimentation, Old Hobart Distillery secured a distiller’s licence in 2005. |
A trip to Scotland, the spiritual home of all whiskies shortly followed with visits to around 15 distilleries to gain a better knowledge of the whole distillation process. Casey is thankful that everyone was open to offering advice and sharing information! Old Hobart Distillery is now in full production with whisky maturing in mainly 100 litre barrels. To find out more about our products click here |
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Our ProductsOld Hobart Distillery specialises in hand-crafted single malt whiskies.  |
 
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NEWSSubscribe here to recieve important email announcments and notifications. We respect your privacy and will never distribute your information to other parties. Overeem Single Malt Whisky – Official LaunchOn December 8 2011, Old Hobart Distillery launched the ‘First Release’ of ‘Overeem Single Malt Whisky’. A highlight of the evening was the auction for the number 001 bottle from the First Release. The winning bid went for $3,000AUD with the proceeds donated to the Fred Hollows foundation. Our products are now available from specialist suppliers as well as direct from Old Hobart Distillery. Orders for the ‘First Release’ can be made by clicking here. Overeem Single Malt Whisky - Tasting ResultsInterest in Overeem Single Malt Whisky has increased immensely since a 'blind tasting' was undertaken by the Malt Whisky Society of Australia (MWSoA). The judging panel gave it the highest score ever achieved by an Australian whisky. Our Sherry Matured Cask #002 was the top scorer by the panel judging seven Australian Whiskies. Craig Daniels, Chairperson of the MWSoA said it was the “the best cask sample I’ve ever tasted in a ‘blind’ taste of Australian whiskies”. Our Port Matured Cask #008 was third. Sherry Cask #004 was later assessed by the panel and was given an even higher score than the original Cask #002. The entire panel scored it over 85. The MWSoA have selected Cask #004 for their first Bespoke Society bottling. Unique Tasmanian Whisky TastingIn December 2009 a unique tasting of all Tasmanian whiskies was held in Hobart. Whisky experts and journalists from around Australia attended to discover and assess the various products available from six Tasmanian distilleries, including one whisky from Old Hobart Distillery. We are proud to report that our single malt was very well received, despite being only two and a half years in the barrel! Wholesalers were keen to get hold of it for immediate sale. We think that says something about the distilling craft of Old Hobart Distillery and can hardly wait to see what it’s like when it’s mature! Apart from making whisky and laying it down to age, we are currently engaged in designing labels, selecting bottles and generally preparing for the first bottling around the middle of 2011. |
Our whisky uses pure Tasmanian water, recognised as the cleanest in the world. Useful LinksTasmanian Distilleries Other Australian Distilleries Malt Whisky Societies |
