- Sullivans Cove has released a 23-year-old single cask whisky, completing a lineage of aged whiskies spanning 16 to 25 years of age
- 23-year-old American oak ex-bourbon single cask is from the ‘HH’ era, Sullivans Cove’s earliest distillation period
- There are 194 bottles of Sullivans Cove HH0619, each priced at $2500AUD
Australian whisky in its current incarnation is still a burgeoning industry, and as such, older aged statements are a relative rarity. Sullivans Cove is responsible for the country’s oldest aged statement—a 25-year-old—released last year, while several statements have been released from its ‘youngest’ older casks, aged 16 years. Over the latter half of the past decade, the Tasmanian distillery has released statements from 16 to 22 years old and from 24 to 25 years old. This year, the lineage is complete, with the elusive 23-year-old fulfilled with an American oak ex-bourbon single cask from the ‘HH’ era, which spans four years and represents the earliest period of distillation for Sullivans Cove.
The brand reports that between 1999 and 2003, it filled just 162 casks, making the surviving whiskies some of the rarest Australian whisky. The HH era is marked by a spirit style designed with long-term menstruation in mind, which has shaped the character of the Tasmanian distillery’s oldest aged statements. Here, the HH0619 is characterised by its depth and texture, brought out by extended ageing.
Dubbed ‘HH0619’, the 23-year-old in question was filled on the 21st of May 2001 and decanted on the 25th of February 2025, resulting in a maturation period of 23 years and 9 months. The cask yielded 194 bottles at 47.6% ABV.
The tasting notes for the Sullivans Cove 23-Year-Old Nº HH0619 are as below.
- Nose: creamy buttered sourdough and vanilla custard, lifted by pine-lime, charred pineapple and creaming soda.
- Palate: luscious and mouth-coating notes of sweet oak, vanilla and maple with shortbread, milk lollies and ripe stone fruit.
- Finish: a long, indulgent finish marked by buttery shortbread, pine nuts, and bursts of lemon drops, passionfruit, and vanilla.
“Seriously special — a whisky of immense character and unmistakable gravitas,” commented Heather Tillott, distillery manager at Sullivans Cove, of the release. “Both art and archive, it captures the historical significance of the HH era and the sheer joy of flavour without restraint.”
The Sullivans Cove 23-Year-Old Single Cask HH0619 is priced at $2500AUD and is available via the Sullivans Cove webstore.
Words by Henry Blake
