World Whiskies Awards 2021 - Silver for Lawrenny Ascension
London Spirits Company Silver Award 2021 for Lawrenny Ascension
Blessed with all the natural resources required of a true ‘paddock to bottle’ whisky producer, Lawrenny Estate Distillery invite you to discover the elements from their unique part of the world that combine to make their remarkable high-end spirit.
A long-held dream of whisky loving owner Ross Mace, the move was made from beef farming to whisky production on realising his farm was graced with all the raw ingredients required to keep full control of the distilling process under one roof.
Barley grains grown in their own fields are harvested, mashed, fermented and distilled using the pure waters of the River Derwent flowing through their property, originating from Australia’s deepest freshwater lake. Their aim? To produce the best estate single malt whiskies in the world.
It’s really important that you have as much control over each process as you possibly can.
Joe Dinsmoor - Head DistillerInteresting Facts
The Lawrenny Estate originally spanned 100,000 acres and was one of Tasmania’s largest private land holdings. Lawrenny Distillery is located on 400 acres and includes the original homestead.
Lawrenny Estate is situated in the Central Highlands region of Tasmania, just over an hour’s picturesque drive through the Derwent Valley, northwest of Hobart.
All water is sourced from the upper River Derwent that flows metres from the distillery doors. The headwater for the river is Lake St Clair, Australia’s deepest freshwater lake.
Barley grain is personally selected and grown across the fields of the estate. Currently around 100 tonne of barley is harvested each February. Barley is malted on site to a customised style that releases distinct flavours that are unique to Lawrenny.
Very few distilleries in the world have the opportunity to incorporate their own supply of pure water along with barley grown across their paddocks into their whisky expression.
Wild Antarctic winds stream across the property during winter whilst the land remains dry and warm over the summer months. The bond store is located close to river water and constructed out of timber, with high walls and a passively ventilated vaulted ceiling to ensure a stable environment. This is an ideal climate for barrels to spend their years maturing.
Lawrenny also has a range of award winning gins that all represent an element of Lawrenny Estate.
Cask World's Highlights
Two years ago, when I touched down in Hobart, Tasmania I remember asking myself why I’d flown so far in search of whisky when I could have just taken a train to Scotland. Then I stepped through the gate of the Lawrenny Estate and immediately knew that I was going to invest in their casks. It was everything I’d been looking for.
The Lawrenny Estate farm supplies all the natural ingredients to make a beautiful 100% Tasmanian unique and premium single malt whisky – the land, fertile soil and perfect climate to ripen the crops plus control over the whole process from barley to bottling under one roof.
The moment I met Ross Mace, his family, and the rest of the distilling team, I realised this distillery was built on passion and vision. Although their whisky has not reached its full potential yet they shared a little taste of what’s to come with their first ‘pre-expression’ at the end of 2020: The ‘Ascension’. Presented in a unique and elegant bottle it sold for AU$179 a bottle (£100 approximately) and won a silver award at the 2021 World Whisky awards – at less than 3 years old!
I hope all whisky fans have the opportunity to visit, stroll the grounds, fish with Cameron, see the stunning house and Mary’s wonderful garden backing onto the fresh flowing river…oh, and to taste the delicious whisky!
This distillery is in a league of its own and we are so grateful to be able to own casks that will one day turn into world class single malt whisky.
Lawrenny at a glance
Distillery Name
Lawrenny Estate Distillery
Founders
Ross and Mary Mace, Cameron Mace, Jensen Farley
Distillery Age
Established 2016
Distillery Location
Tasmania, Australia
Head Distiller
Joe Dinsmoor
The Team
Jensen Farley – General Manager
Paul Gillan – Distiller
Kathleen Triffitt – PackagingFacilities
Located on the banks of the upper River Derwent, Lawrenny has a source of some of the purest waters in the world. The distillery operates with a 2,000L and a 900L copper still. Facilities include a bond store, settling shed and cellar door.
Primary Whisky Types
Single Malt matured across a variety of casks then married together Solera style.
Cask Types
Bourbon, Port, Sherry, Cognac plus special releases. Lawrenny works closely with a local cooperage to ensure their source of premium casks are supplied with consistency.
Cask Storage
Barrels are matured in a well ventilated bond store constructed from timber walls and a concrete floor with timber racking throughout, ensuring a stable environment for them to rest in.
Av. Length of Maturation
8 years
Angels’ Share
4% - 5% annually
Current Bottle Prices
$179 AUD / 500ml
Awards
World Whiskies Awards 2021 - Silver for the Ascension Release
London Spirits Company 2021 - Silver for the Ascension Release
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