THE DISTILLERY
Our whole reason for being is grounded in a deep connection to place - crafting spirits that are a true expression of Flinders Island’s raw, maritime environment.
Rooted in a “paddock to bottle” approach, we embrace self-sufficiency, growing grain, harvesting local peat, and using rainwater to create whisky shaped by the island’s climate and character.
At our core is a belief in simplicity, patience, and authenticity: doing simple things well, with a hands-on respect for ingredients, process, and provenance.
We believe slow and steady wins the race. Long fermentation for fruity and soft spirit, slow distillation with lots of copper contact, slow proofing our mature whisky to allow the texture to develop and the flavour to integrate. Our whisky will age for years, so why rush?
PHILOSOPHY
THE STILLS
Our stills were some of the last made by Peter Bailey at Knapp Lewer in Tasmania. They are beautiful examples of simple engineering, designed around a 1600L wash still and 700L spirit still with full copper bodies and shell & tube condensers. They are electrically heated, which makes a difference on Flinders Island where fuel is expensive, and with our 57kw solar array on the distillery roof, the environmental impact of production is extremely minimal.
The design of our stills was inspired by the “lantern-glass” shape. As the spirit vapour rises it is forced through a pinch point at the neck which then balloons out before reaching the zenith. This results in less turbulence during distillation, increased copper contact and enhanced reflux action which results in a clean and refined spirit.
100% of our water comes from rain tanks. Our condensers are on a closed loop so we don’t waste a drop cooling, and our brewing and dilution water carries the qualities of our maritime environment. Being on a coastal farm that gets hit by the Roaring 40’s, our water carries the salinity and minerality of the westerly spray. We barely filter our water, simply sediment and UV to maintain that pristine flavour.
PRODUCTION
We started growing barley on our coastal farm in 2023 - our first crop yielding 10 tonnes of grain which has laid the foundations of our paddock-to-bottle dream. With a wealth of local knowledge and an ugly-beautiful 1975 Claas harvester, our heritage grain story was just started.
BARLEY
Our peated expressions are created from grain smoked on the island using local, coastal peat from saline aquatic herbland (coastal bogs!) - the vegetation in which is mostly saltgrass succulents, tussocks, melaleuca which all have a distinct salty and aromatic note.
PEAT
We adhere to classic single malt rules - only water, malt and yeast are allowed. Our rainwater has it’s own mineral profile, our malt is roller milled and our fermentation method is designed to produce a fruity, floral and complex spirit with good mouthfeel, getting the most our of our quality malt.
FERMENTATION
Our spirit is designed to be bright, fruity and well balanced. We pay respect to the tails but make a relatively tight cut during a distillation, keeping the overall style elegant while allowing some of the texture, viscosity and complexity though to the final spirit.
DISTILLATION
Quality of casks is paramount to us - we choose only the best available old oak for maturation. Our bond store is dunnage-style, with the floor area the casks rest on being open-earth. This allows us to harness the humidity of our environment, keeping the casks cool and wet, with little temperature fluctuation.
MATURATION
POST-MATURATION
The job’s not over when the cask is empty. We spend weeks tasting our spirit in dilution trials to find the strength in which it tastes best. We then slow-proof, allowing our spirit to breathe while we dilute it over days to ensure the best texture and integration between water and spirit.
SHOP WHISKY
NEW RELEASE: DOUBLE OAK
MALT: 100% TASMANIAN UNPEATED
MATURATION: VINTAGE SEPPELTSFIELD TAWNY & HEAVEN HILL BOURBON
ABV: 43.3%
50 Year Old Seppeltsfield Tawny Port quarter casks form the heart of this dram, building a rich and expansive palate layered with lush dried fruits, muscatel grapes and dates alongside the deep, vinous sweetness that only long-seasoned fortified wine casks can deliver. These remarkable vintage casks lend both intensity and structure, though their lingering tannin called for a gentle counterpoint.
A selection of bourbon casks was introduced to the vatting, bringing soft vanilla sweetness and creamy oak that rounds the back palate and smooths the finish into a beautifully balanced whole.
TASTING NOTES:
Musk, red apple and cinnamon on the nose. Palate is full, juicy, muscatel grapes, a hint of dark chocolate. The finish is wonderful with a lingering sweet front profile, and caramel on the back. Very full and very moreish.
BATCH: FPA2
MALT: 100% TASMANIAN, FLINDERS ISLAND PEATED
MATURATION: FRENCH OAK APERA CASK
ABV: 49%
The second Flinders Island peated sherry cask we have bottled so far, and a beautiful fruity and juicy expression of the style. 100% Flinders Island peated malt - distilled and matured for almost 5 years in French Oak Apera casks on Flinders Island. Slow proofed, unfiltered.
TASTING NOTES:
Bold, sweet spice, fig, date and fruitcake on the nose. On the palate it bursts with bright cherry, a nuttiness, and a hint of licorice which develops to the oily, aromatic smoke characteristic of our coastal peat. The finish carries that gentle smoke, and a lovely sticky sweetness.
BATCH: FSPB5
MALT: 50:50 FLINDERS ISLAND PEATED & SCOTTISH PEATED
MATURATION: AMERICAN OAK BOURBON CASK
ABV: 47.9%
Maritime character is at the heart of this bottling. The salt and minerality of our rainwater with the peat smoke leaning toward the iodine-laced profile of the great Hebridean malts. Maturation in bourbon casks has preserved brightness and clarity in the spirit, giving soft vanilla sweetness and subtle spice while allowing the layered smokiness to take centre stage.
TASTING NOTES:
Bright, briny and smoky nose. A big peat punch comes through on the palate, softening up to tropical fruits, melon and a round vanilla sweetness. The fruit profile lingers through the finish, with oily peat sticking with a iodine, cresol smoke.