• Lark 1st Release Single Malt Whisky
  • Lark 1st Release Single Malt Whisky

Lark 1st Release Single Malt Whisky

$12,000 AUD

40% abv 500 ml

Released in December 1998, this is one of the truly outstanding icons of Australian whisky distilling history, being the very first ever release from the Lark distillery, which is so synonymous with the re-emergence of distilling in Tasmania after more than 200 years of enforced silence. This bottle marked the end of a 154-year prohibition on spirit distillation in Tasmania and effectively gave birth to the modern Australian craft spirits industry.

A product years in the making, from Bill and Lyn’s kitchen table to their Davey Street Bond Store. Distilled using their original 80 litre copper pot still in Kingston, Tasmania. Less than 250 bottles of this 1st release were produced. And so it remains an exceptionally rare and highly sought-after trophy for premium whisky collectors worldwide.

Because of its immense historical value, this expression is virtually non-existent in traditional retail inventory and the one on offer here is all the more exceptional having been in the hands of a private collector for over 27 years. The estimated secondary market value for a Lark 1998 First Release Single Malt Whisky is currently between AU$15,000 and AU$25,000+.

Because fewer than 250 bottles exist, its value is entirely dictated by collector demand at specialized auction houses rather than standard retail pricing. 

As if it were not rare enough, this example comes with the added value of having the original presentation tube in good order, as is the labelling of the bottle itself, both being signed by the respective members of the Lark family.

 

This product is located in Australia.

Distillery

Lark Distillery

Mention Tasmanian whisky and the name Lark immediately comes to mind. After all, the Lark family have been at it since 1992 and although ownership has changed and Bill Lark’s involvement is more ambassadorial than hands on, the brand still carries tremendous weight in the world’s whisky halls. The fact is that many more people have heard of Lark than have sampled the whisky and as evidence of that there were for a spell no new expressions of Lark available.  And so, whilst that was a tribute to Bill Lark and the team, it was also frustrating for the many Lark enthusiasts and the inevitable deprivation visited upon them by this distillery with no (mature) whisky!

Under new ownership that frustration is being addressed by the Lark product taking on a rather different character which is leading to higher volume, wider distribution and presumably lower prices.

We wish the new-look Lark well, but as true friends of the original Lark and its followers, we herewith provide a unique selection of dearly departed Lark expressions whose scarcity is on an ever-upwards trajectory. We also offer carefully selected independent bottlings of early Lark, most notably under the Heartwood label.

Other Lark Whiskies