A group of five backers led by Chris Condon, former Boag’s brewer and Chief Distiller at Tasmania’s Nant Distillery, have progressed their plan to open Launceston Distillery in a heritage-listed aircraft hangar at Launceston Airport.

On March 11, Condon applied to Tasmania’s liquor regulator for permission to sell spirits produced at the distillery located in Hangar 17, after production began late last year.

“Our casks are predominantly American oak (ex bourbon) and French oak (ex port or sherry) and will all be matured in our bond store in the hangar,” Launceston Distillery says.

“Our flagship product will be Tasmanian Single Malt – we will not compromise the quality, as such, the hand crafted single malt will be produced exclusively from Tasmanian malted barley.”

“We are confident our whisky will enhance the excellent reputation of Tasmanian whisky worldwide.”

Five new distilleries (and counting)
Launceston Distillery is the city’s first whisky distillery in 175 years and Tasmania’s fifth distillery to apply for a liquor licence in the last 12 months.

Since March 2015, the Commissioner for Licensing has granted applications to Redlands Distillery in Kempton, Cora Linn Distillery in Relbia, Hellfire Bluff Distillery in Boomer Bay and Nonesuch Distillery in Forcett.

And the proponents of Adams Distillery have pledged to fight on after the City of Launceston this week rebuffed their development application to open the city’s second distillery in South Launceston.