Hunter Island Whisky

About the distillery

Hunter Island Whisky is a Tasmanian whisky project based in Hobart, built around Tasmanian ingredients, a traditional process, and triple distillation. The name points back to Hobart’s early colonial history, while the distillery’s own story grows out of the work of Damian and Madeleine Mackey and their focus on Tasmanian pot still whisky.

History

Damian Mackey grew up in the family pub in Latrobe on the north-west coast of Tasmania, where his grandfather Harry was a big whisky fan. His first encounter with the trade came from behind the bar at Mackey’s Royal Hotel. In 1992, he started as a graduate surveyor for Bill and Lyn Lark and spent time in the Lark family’s rumpus room, while a copper pot still sat and worked in the corner. In 2007, Damian and Madeleine Mackey established their own distillery and whisky brand and gave it a clear nod to their Irish roots. At the time, there were only a handful of distilleries in Tasmania, and no one was making triple distilled whisky. The first six-year-old Mackey Whisky casks went on the market in 2015 and quickly gained international recognition. As demand grew, the couple expanded and moved production to Shene Distillery in Pontville, where they continued making whisky and gin in larger volumes. In 2018, they sold their stake as part of the sale of Shene to Lark. Later, they returned to Ireland and closely followed developments in single pot still whiskey, and since then they have added casks for maturation in their own production distillery in Hobart, with plans for the next release from Hobart’s waterfront.

Raw materials and production

Hunter Island works with Tasmanian ingredients and describes its style as Tasmanian Pot Still Whisky with a traditional process and triple distillation. The specific poitin is made from a blend of oats, malted barley, and raw barley, fermented with ale yeast and distilled three times in a 700-litre copper pot still. It paints a picture of a production where the grain blend is broader than in classic malt whisky, and where triple distillation is a key approach. The entire expression is closely connected to the Irish pot still tradition, but rooted in Tasmania through local raw materials and production in Hobart. Casks are laid down in the distillery’s own production environment, emphasizing a small-scale and controlled build-up of maturation rather than an industrial scale.

Maturation and cask types

The material points to maturation in a production distillery in Hobart, where casks are laid down as part of the ongoing building of the whisky. No specific cask types, finishes, or distinct maturation regimes are described, but the maturation is clearly tied to Hobart and to the upcoming home on Hobart’s waterfront. It gives the impression of a mature, but still developing, project, where the maturation component is tightly integrated with the distillery’s own identity.

Whiskies

The documented range is narrow and centered on Hunter Island Poitin, which appears as the clearest and most concrete release. It is bottled at 50% ABV in 700 ml and is described as back in stock soon. The style is craft-driven and built around the pot still tradition, so the range seems focused rather than broad. The available text also points toward an upcoming whisky release under the Hunter Island name, which fits a producer who is in the process of expanding its own profile from poitin toward whisky.

The style and tasting profile of the whiskies

Hunter Island Poitin is sweet, creamy, and lightly biscuity, with baking spices that coat the palate, and a long, persistent finish. Overall, it gives a soft, grain-forward profile with clear spicing rather than smoke or a distinct cask influence. The overall style feels rounded, crisp, and warm, with a focus on texture and spice.

Visit the distillery

There is a shop on the side, but the material does not describe public tours, tastings, a visitor center, a café, or opening hours. The only clearly documented information is that the distillery operates from Hobart and references an upcoming home on Hobart’s waterfront, so the visitor experience has not yet been described as an established public activity.

Philosophy and craft

The brand’s values are expressed very directly: Tasmanian ingredients, a traditional process, and triple distillation. In addition, there is a clear grounding in Irish whiskey culture and in the single pot still tradition, which Damian and Madeleine Mackey were inspired by after their travels to Ireland. The craft is therefore a meeting point between local ingredient awareness and a classic Irish method.