Whisky plans step up a notch

THERE has been no standing still for Australian Whisky Holdings since it completed its takeover of the Lark Distillery in a $10 million deal in June.

Australian Whisky Holdings chief executive officer Chris Malcolm is in Hobart to recruit nine staff and oversee facility investment at both the Lark Distillery and the Nant Distillery near Bothwell.

Planning is under way for a new $3 million distillery at Nant, which will increase production to a total of 56 barrels a week when it is finished in 18 months.

“We will need to hire people for that and we are talking to our barley suppliers about increased crop,” he said.

“The other major input is water and we have a 110 megalitre supply from Lake Sorell via the Government’s irrigation project.”

The immediate project is a near doubling of production at the Nant Distillery from eight to 14 barrels a week.

“That is a $500,000 investment in configuring the equipment more efficiently and that will be completed by the end of July,” he said.

“We have hired a new distiller to oversee that increased production.”

Mr Malcolm said cellar door and tasting facilities would also be upgraded.

He said the company had bought back $3 million worth

That is a $500,000 investment in configuring the equipment more efficiently and that will be completed by the end of July

CHRIS MALCOLM

of Nant whisky barrels so far but there was another three years to go at an annual cost of about $2.5 million.

Nant barrel program staff will be moved to Hobart and the company is appointing a distributor into Southeast Asia. “Nant has never been sold in Southeast Asia so this is a new exercise,” he said.

The company is also hiring staff for the former Lark Distillery operation.

“We have hired a brand and commercial manager, Demetrios Giouzelis, and he will move to live in Hobart,” he said. “We are hiring a state sales manager and an event manager and account manager based in Hobart.”

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