Australian Whisky Awards 2021 - Whisky Distillery/Producer of the Year for Kristy Lark-Booth
IWSC 2021 - Gold 95pts
Wizards of Whisky Awards 2021
Killara Distillery is owned and operated by Kristy Lark-Booth and is one of the few distilleries worldwide to be owned and operated by a female.
A boutique distillery producing premium quality, hand crafted single malt whisky and other premium spirits, Killara was launched when Kristy branched out on her own to continue the family tradition of producing hand crafted premium spirits in a friendly environment.
Using her previous experience at Lark to refine the process and a strong focus on quality, all products are made and bottled by hand. Each barrel of new make whisky spirit is batch produced in the 600 litre copper pot still from ingredients sourced locally and with their still maker and cooper situated nearby.
The spirit then quietly matures in their cool climate for a minimum of 2 years before bottling. With this true craft distillery's limited production and extremely high demand, Killara’s single cask releases are already highly sought after.
A boutique distillery producing premium quality, highly sought after hand crafted single malt whisky
Interesting Facts
- Owner Kristy previously worked at Lark Distillery (founded by her parents, now owned by ASX listed company Lark Distilling Co. since 2013) as both head distiller and general manager and has over 18 years’ distilling industry experience
- She was prompted to go into the family business by a still which stood outside her bedroom as she grew up
- During her time at Lark, Kristy produced whisky that won numerous awards both nationally and internationally
- Kristy’s parents, Bill & Lyn Lark, started the whisky industry in Australia back in 1992. Killara’s name is a nod to them and is the name of the street where that first modern distillery was registered over 150 years after the last distillery in Hobart closed its doors and shut off its stills
- Killara use both a 600 litre copper pot still made in Hobart by Aircon Industries (it has a traditional but non-standard shape with the condenser at the top of the still rather than at the side, which produces a smooth distinct spirit) as well as a new 1,400lt still made by Peter Bailly at Knapp Lewer - one of the last ones to be made and installed by him before he retired and the new owners of the business took over.
- Killara's 2 Years Old Single Malt features in the That Boutique-y Whisky Co 'Australia Series' (RRP £169.95/ US$236), following hot on the heels of their highly successful World Series
Cask World's Highlights
I met Kristy in Tasmania before her new distillery was built and instantly recognised the spark of excitement and determination in her eye as she had a dream and a plan well under way. Since then she has successfully overcome every challenge of building a distillery on top of all that the C-19 pandemic has thrown at us, and the new facility is now complete, with a still named Dorothy - after her grandmother - at its heart.
Along the way, Kristy even found the time to periodically bottle the remaining 40L casks she had maturing and share small quantities of her award winning single malt for us all to enjoy, paying incredible attention to detail with her spirit, packaging and labelling. Every now and again we would be notified about her limited and dwindling supply of upcoming releases, and those of us quick enough would be lucky to grab a bottle.
Kristy has the unusual experience of living the distillers lifestyle from a young age. In the 90s, her parents overturned the law which had banned the production of Australian whisky for over a hundred years. The family then sculpted the pioneering Lark Distillery. Regardless of this royal whisky heritage, Kristy has now crafted her own brand and style off her own back and is very much a hands on master distiller, visionary, and core member of the Tasmanian whisky community.
I am thrilled to have met Kristy and witnessed her dedication to realising her dream. Along with many others, I look forward to her increased future production and releases as Killara lays down spirit for the decades ahead. I remember she said to me, “I don’t want to take over the world,” but with the international whisky community rapidly waking up to the incredible quality of Killara offerings, I feel she may have no choice!
We are delighted to have maturing whisky at the Killara Distillery and to be able to offer a bridge for customers around the world to own extremely limited casks of this very special liquid.
Killara at a glance
Distillery Name
Killara Distillery
Founders
Kristy Lark-Booth
Distillery Age
Established March 2016
Distillery Location
Richmond, Tasmania, Australia
Head Distiller
Kristy Lark-Booth
The Team
Kristy Lark-Booth – Owner & Operator
Facilities
Australian made 600 litre copper pot still, and a new 1400lt still made by Peter Bailly at Knapp Lewer...of the last ones to be made and installed by him before he retired and the new owners of the business took over. Newly built distillery (opened 2020), locally sourced ingredients and services (cooperage/still maker), maturation and bottling on site.
Primary Whisky Types
Premium quality, hand crafted single malt whisky
Cask Types
Tawny/Port, Sherry/Apera, bourbon, Australian red and white wine (plus small amounts of rum casks and other interesting things!) in a range of sizes from 100lt - 200lt
Cask Storage
On Site
Av. Length of Maturation
3-4 years
Angels’ Share
4%
Current Bottle Prices
AU$220-330 / £117-175
Awards
Australian Whisky Awards 2021 - Whisky Distiller/Producer of the Year for Kristy Lark-Booth
Wizards of Whisky Awards 2021 - Best Australasian Whisky for KD04
Wizards of Whisky Awards 2021 - Runner Up for Best Whisky in the World for KD04
IWSC International Wine and Spirits Competition 2021 - Gold 95pts for KD13
Take a look around
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