Lark Classic Cask

Lark Pontville Distillery, 10 August 2024, whisky #1 Nose: Fruity (orange, apricot, peach, plum, fresh figs), honey, butterscotch, caramel, vanilla. Palate: Preserved fruits, but with a light touch – more like glace fruits than fruitcake. Honeyish malt, vanilla and butterscotch (similar to the nose). It's a rich, sweet palate from start to finish and very easy to drink. There are some soft cereal notes like porridge with maple syrup. The texture is well-rounded but more syrupy than creamy or oily. Finish: Medium/Short. Sweet. Preserved figs in caramel. There's a hint of barrel char and tannin. This whisky has been Lark's main entry-level offering since Bill Lark sold the company to Australian Whisky Holdings Limited and production moved to the Pontville Distillery (formerly Shene Estate) near Richmond in Tasmania. It's a young, cask-influenced whisky intended to be as approachable as possible. It maintains much of the character of the older Lark whiskies, but there has been a shift towards sweetness and more pronounced wood character over time. It strongly resembles Speyburn 10 and Glen Grant 10, which is positive as they are both very capable single malts. However, while they currently cost AUD$75-80 for a 700 ml bottle, Lark Classic Cask is a substantial AUD$200 for a 500ml bottle. That's over 3.5 times the price. While I understand the rationale for 500ml bottles for micro-distilleries with small output and tight margins, there's no justification for any established distillery with reasonable output to use them, and Lark's prices are already inflated. None of that impacts my rating, which is solely based on quality, but I won't be purchasing any Lark in the foreseeable future. “Good”: 83/100 (3.5 stars)

N: Thick and rich like syrup, the aroma bursts with fullness. Dominated by figs, cooked plums, and tannic caramel. A faint herbal quality with a presence of anise and peppermint. The caramel develops a vanilla note over time. P: Less viscous than the nose implies, yet still possesses good body. Cooked fruit maintains its presence, contributing an oily texture to the tannins and a touch of oak spice. Malt appears as a subtle biscuit flavor, akin to Irish whiskey. The tannic dryness intensifies gradually. F: Medium length. Tannic spice emerges and interacts with a fig jam base, complemented by a slightly toasted malt. A solid enough spirit, featuring deeper port cask characteristics that are just about balanced by brighter sherry notes. However, the underlying spirit is barely perceptible, suggesting an over-reliance on intense wood influence. I'd actually argue the Dark Lark better represents heavy port cask influence and surpasses this classic cask bottling. Neither, in my opinion, justifies the cost. Still, a Tasmanian spirit from the Tasmanian wilderness, with platypus going about their evening – it's hard to find much fault. A whisky taste

Color: golden amber Nose: butterscotch, honey, and orange Flavor: lightly smoked, peppery finish. Floral notes are present in the middle, so subtle they require mindful enjoyment to detect. Hints of candied orange. Body, weight, mouthfeel: well-rounded across the tongue, a light sensation from front to back with a warm lingering sensation at the end. Finish: a late caramel finish. Pleasant warmth on the top of the tongue.

Golden syrup and vanilla with hints of oranges and grapefruit. Plum pudding, Christmas cake, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg and a wisp of Tasmanian peat smoke. Palate Sweet vanilla transitions into a heady mix of orange peel, butterscotch, cloves, nutmeg and grapefruit. Finish Butterscotch and citrus notes with a long, satisfying smoky finish.

Advent #23. A clear copper amber body with thin legs. The aroma is fruity, herbal, and spicy oak. The flavor is oak, vanilla, woody, leather, and herbal. Medium body with moderate warmth. 8/4/8/4/17 4.1

Wonderful whiskey. The nose is light, with honey, some dried fruit, and a hint of wheat fields. Sweet at the start with some vanilla and very smooth. It goes down easily.