WelcomeOld Hobart Distillery is a boutique distillery located in Tasmania producing hand-crafted whiskies and other spirits. Our whisky is made from the finest ingredients Tasmania has to offer with barley to rival the finest in the world and water recognised as the cleanest. Our Overeem Single Malt Whisky is creating great interest to discerning palates the world over. If we can be of further assistance please Contact Us – we'd love to hear from you.
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About UsIn order to understand the Old Hobart Distillery, a little history of distilling in Tasmania needs to be explained. So pour yourself a wee dram, get comfortable and read on… It all started in 1822 when Thomas Haigh Midwood established the first legal whisky distillery in Van Diemen’s Land, later known as Tasmania. By 1824 there were 16 legal distilleries operating on the island and the industry seemed secure, however Governor John Franklin put an end to it all in 1838 by prohibiting all distilling. 
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That was basically that, until the early 1990s when a few visionary people started dreaming of what could be, given Tasmania’s natural advantages of excellent barley, pure water, clean air and ideal climate. Tasmania is already well known for its high quality beef, cheese, wine, beer, seafood, wool and other products - so why not whisky? The main visionary Bill Lark, of Lark Distillery, lobbied the government to amend the Distillation Act of 1901 to allow small-scale distilleries to operate. Casey Overeem continued experimenting with stills and the production of whisky. Old Hobart Distillery is a family-owned business, with operations headed by Casey Overeem. Casey’s interest in the industry started back in the early 1980s when he had his first experience of distilling at a relative’s house in Norway. “Many people had micro-distilleries in their cellars and I really admired them, so I started experimenting when I got home” said Casey. After much research, realisation dawned that Tasmania offers the perfect climate and ingredients for the production of single malt whisky. Following years of research and experimentation, Old Hobart Distillery secured a distiller’s licence in 2005. |
A trip to Scotland, the spiritual home of all whiskies shortly followed with visits to around 15 distilleries to gain a better knowledge of the whole distillation process. Casey is thankful that everyone was open to offering advice and sharing information! Old Hobart Distillery is now in full production with whisky maturing in mainly 100 litre barrels. To find out more about our products click here |
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Our Products |
 
Port Cask Matured: Sherry Cask Matured: |
NEWSSubscribe here to receive important email announcments and notifications. We respect your privacy and will never distribute your information to other parties. Raise a glass to Tassie's new goldAndrew Derbidge, cellar master of the Scotch Malt Whisky Association, says everybody is doing pretty well. "They are making whiskies we should be proud of; the preconditions are there to create a real Tasmanian industry." Read more at TheAustralian.com or click here to download the pdf version.
Malt Mileage, Whisky and Spirit ReviewsOveReem Sherry Cask Matured (Cask Strength, 60%) - With the Port and Sherry Cask Matured, Casey Overeem has picked a quinella (two winners). The OveReem Sherry Cask Matured 60% is a unique Tasmanian whisky that has a very enjoyable and sensational character. This whisky strikes the palate like an angry snake, bringing with its bite a potency, ferocity and fire that can only be experienced with this whisky. Read more at Malt Mileage Review
Pubs stock up on local dropWHISKY makers have come up with a bright idea to showcase their product in Tassie bars, pubs and restaurants. Four large distilleries have commissioned a Tasmanian Oak plinth to hold Lark, Overeem, Hellyers Rd and Sullivans Cove whiskies. The special display case is being rolled out to 50 venues across the state. The plinths have been designed to make Tassie whisky a talking point among customers, Old Hobart Distillery marketing manager Jane Overeem said. "I've had visitors from Scotland ask me where can they get Tasmanian whiskies -- they can't find them," she said. Sullivans Cove marketing manager Bertie Cason said Tasmania was being promoted as a whisky destination and hospitality venues needed to reflect that. Hobart publican Brett Davis put his plinth pride of place on the public bar of The Brunswick Hotel, which is a favourite stopover for travellers. "Our wine list is heavily Tasmanian, so is our food and beer, so why not our whisky?" Mr Davis said. Read more at TheMercury.com.au
Malt Mileage - Whisky and Spirit ReviewOn rare occasions I blind taste a whisky and the first sip releases very little, if any, of its true quality. Then I take a second sip a few minutes later and it is as though a gremlin cheekily replaced the whisky with some magical elixir that epitomises everything I have come to appreciate in a whisky: depth, complexity, power, balance, flavour, elegance, smoothness … you get the point I’m sure. Its magic is not unlocked just yet... abracadabra I add water! POW! With a trickle of water this whisky unleashes an abundance of diverse character that retains a violent potency that enters the palate smooth as silk; like a good Tasmanian oyster (I had to fit that in somewhere!). This is exactly what I experienced when I blind tasted the OveReem Port Cask Matured Cask Strength Whisky. Read more at Malt Mileage - Whisky and Spirit Review The Whisky Show 2012 - In ReviewOvereem/Old Hobart Distillery won the Gold and Silver medals for their Port and Sherry casks respectively in the Single Malt category. Overeem also and took out the Gold award in the Cask Strength category as well as being pronounced the overall winner. Liquid Gold AwardOvereem Single Malt Whisky received the following high scores in the famous Jim Murray's International Whisky Bible 2013. 
Overeem Port Cask (60%): 95.0
Overeem Port Cask (43%): 89.0 Overeem Sherry Cask (60%): 91.5 Overeem Sherry Cask (43%): 85.5 'Jim Murray's whisky bible 2013 contains the tasting notes of 4,500 whiskies from around the world. These scoring 94 points or higher are considered to be the elite, the very finest you can find on whisky shelves around the world. Congratulations are therefore due to the people who made and marketed this supreme whisky' Jim Murray, 2012 Score Chart:
Take note of Tassie whisky, say distillersThe Shout Exalted Malt Strikes GoldSydney Morning Herald The Age MEDIA RELEASE - Overeem Single Malt Awarded Australia’s Highest Scoring Whisky 201225 July, 2012 – Old Hobart Distillery’s ‘Overeem Single Malt Whisky’ has recently been awarded Australia’s Highest Scoring Whisky for 2012 from the Malt Whisky Society of Australia (MWSoA) and also received ‘Overall Winner’ in the recent World of Whisky ‘Australasian Whisky Awards’ for 2012. Download the full Media Release to read more The Whisky Show 2012 - In ReviewOvereem/Old Hobart Distillery won the Gold and Silver medals for their Port and Sherry casks respectively in the Single Malt category. Overeem also and took out the Gold award in the Cask Strength category as well as being pronounced the overall winner. Fledgling Distillery Scoops Whisky AwardsDespite only having had its whiskies on the market for a matter of months, Tasmania's Old Hobart Distillery scooped the prize pool at the first ever Australasian Whisky Awards on Friday. Old Hobart Distillery won first place in the standard single malt category with its Overeem Port Matured whisky, which was also declared overall champion of the awards. Overeem Sherry Matured whisky came in second in the single malt category, while the fledgling distillery also took out the cask strength category with its 60 per cent ABV Sherry Matured single malt. See the results and read more at TheShout.com.au Local Whisky Bound for Overseas - Kingborough Chronical"They've only been on the Tasmanian market for six months, but already Blackmans Bay distiller Casey Overeem has found an overseas market for his single malt whiskies."
The Singular Overeem (Sherry cask)"As I perused the internet for Australian whiskey to get my hands on for my year long chase, I came across a new little distillery in Tasmania called the ‘Old Hobart Distillery’. It sounded very promising especially having noticed on their site that they were yet to release their first ever batch of 'The Singular Overeem' Whiskey." Read more at TheAirOfAddiction.com Tip from The Barrel 1: How to serve your whiskyWhisky Galore around the globe
The West Australian (13 April 2012) Old Hobart Distillery: New Wave Australian Whisky"While early days yet, the Overeem range has shown fantastic promise with a distinct house style which is both forward and refined. Overeem’s overtly floral and fruity whiskies have astounding depth given their age and will no doubt cause many connoisseurs to reconsider their perceptions of Australian whisky." Read the more at OakBarrel.com.au Old Hobart Distillery celebrate launch of first batch of single malt"This week Tasmanian whisky maker Old Hobart Distillery officially launched the first batch of its Overeem Single Malt Whisky. Interest in their single malt has increased since it achieved the highest score ever for an Australian whisky in a ‘blind tasting’ by the Malt Whisky Society of Australia (MWSoA)." Read more at WhiskyDrinker.com Overeem Single Malt Whisky – Official LaunchOn December 8 2011, Old Hobart Distillery launched the ‘First Release’ of ‘Overeem Single Malt Whisky’. A highlight of the evening was the auction for the number 001 bottle from the First Release. The winning bid went for $3,000AUD with the proceeds donated to the Fred Hollows foundation. Our products are now available from specialist suppliers as well as direct from Old Hobart Distillery. Orders for the ‘First Release’ can be made by clicking here. Overeem Single Malt Whisky - Tasting ResultsInterest in Overeem Single Malt Whisky has increased immensely since a 'blind tasting' was undertaken by the Malt Whisky Society of Australia (MWSoA). The judging panel gave it the highest score ever achieved by an Australian whisky. Our Sherry Matured Cask #002 was the top scorer by the panel judging seven Australian Whiskies. Craig Daniels, Chairperson of the MWSoA said it was the “the best cask sample I’ve ever tasted in a ‘blind’ taste of Australian whiskies”. Our Port Matured Cask #008 was third. Sherry Cask #004 was later assessed by the panel and was given an even higher score than the original Cask #002. The entire panel scored it over 85. The MWSoA have selected Cask #004 for their first Bespoke Society bottling. Unique Tasmanian Whisky TastingIn December 2009 a unique tasting of all Tasmanian whiskies was held in Hobart. Whisky experts and journalists from around Australia attended to discover and assess the various products available from six Tasmanian distilleries, including one whisky from Old Hobart Distillery. We are proud to report that our single malt was very well received, despite being only two and a half years in the barrel! Wholesalers were keen to get hold of it for immediate sale. We think that says something about the distilling craft of Old Hobart Distillery and can hardly wait to see what it’s like when it’s mature! Apart from making whisky and laying it down to age, we are currently engaged in designing labels, selecting bottles and generally preparing for the first bottling around the middle of 2011. |
Our whisky uses pure Tasmanian water, recognised as the cleanest in the world. Useful LinksMalt Whisky Societies: |
