Sullivans Cove Unveils ‘First and Last’ 24-Year-Old American Oak Apera Finish Whisky

• Tasmanian whisky distillery Sullivans Cove has unveiled a limited-edition 24-Year-Old American Oak Apera Finish Whisky.
• At 24 years of age, it is one of the oldest Australian single malts ever released.
• Priced at AUD$2,500, the Single Cask Nº HH0005 will be available exclusively via ballot from 10am AEST on Monday, May 12 until 10am AEST on Tuesday, May 20.

There is something deeply gratifying about finality. When a story reaches its apex, the knowledge that a fitting conclusion is on its way can make the journey seem all the more meaningful. For award-winning Tasmanian whisky producer Sullivans Cove, the 24-Year-Old American Oak Apera Finish is one such story. Set to release in celebration of World Whisky Day, the highly exclusive new single-cask expression represents the pinnacle of the Cambridge distillery‘s whisky-making prowess.

With a provenance that dates all the way back to the new millennium, it’s no surprise that the Sullivans Cove 24-Year-Old American Oak Apera Finish, Single Cask Nº HH0005 harbours a few unique tales. According to the whisky distillery, which has three-times been awarded World’s Best Single Malt, the spirit was first laid down in October 1999 in a 300-litre American oak cask, where it spent 18 years slowly ageing under the watchful eye of the Sullivans Cove team. Then, inspiration struck.

Resisting the urge to bottle the 18-year-old spirit, Sullivans Cove‘s production team chose instead to employ a unique finishing process, transferring the liquid to a 225-litre American oak ex-Apera cask. The whisky spent a further seven years in this state, developing what the label calls “extraordinary complexity and integration”.

Finally, after years of careful consideration and more than a few rounds of testing, the spirit was bottled in October 2024 at its ideal strength of 51.1% ABV, representing a masterstroke of patience, conviction, and craftsmanship. Sullivans Cove distillery manager Heather Tillott described Single Cask Nº HH0005 as a nod to a bygone era, rich with history and delivered with the utmost importance.

“Vanilla laden oak, meaty and robust spirit from a bygone era, and the fun fruit of Apera have co-created pure brilliance under the unrushed guardianship of Sullivans Cove’s guiding palates,” Tillott explained. “What has unfolded is not merely a finish; it’s a complete integration, where spirit and cask have truly married. Impeccably balanced, unmistakably Sullivans. And then, there’s the age felt in the body, the texture, the citrus, the gamey notes. Telling of its time, and all the better for it.”

‘Timing’ is right. While bottles of the Sullivans Cove 24-Year-Old American Oak Apera Finish will be available exclusively via ballot on the distillery’s website from Monday, May 12 until Tuesday, May 20, it won’t be your only chance to test the limited release. To celebrate World Whisky Day on May 17, Sullivans Cove is offering Melbourne dram lovers a rare opportunity to taste this remarkable release.

For one day only, guests at Casa De Vinos in Melbourne will have the chance to sample the 24-Year-Old Apera Finish for just $24, guided by Ally Bhana, Icons of Whisky’s Global Brand Ambassador of the Year 2024. As the brand reveals, single cask bottlings such as these typically sell out upon release, often disappearing into private collections and rarely, if ever, opened.

• Date: Saturday 17th May – World Whisky Day
• Location: Casa De Vinos, Melbourne
• Tickets strictly limited
  • 1:00PM Session 1 tickets
  • 1:30PM Session 2 tickets

According to Tillott, those lucky enough to get their hands on a glass will enjoy one of Sullivans Cove’s most remarkable releases. Rich with chocolate and coconut broad on the nose, the spirit opens with a warming sensation of baked apples and walnuts, while nougat notes of thick cream, vanilla, sweet delicate spice and almonds add a gentle opulence.

From there, you are met with a full-bodied whisky that offers a thick, almost velvet-like expression of sweet timber and earth. With cherries, dark chocolate, and a delicate gamey quality on the palate, Nº HH0005 is heavy with Sullivans Cove’s signature notes, while the finish is long and persistent, with layers of macadamia, hazelnut, and Nutella creating a smooth, nutty complexity.

“Some casks demand us to look deeper to ensure they realise their full potential – HH0005 did exactly that; it asked us to reconsider what a finishing cask could be,” Sullivans Cove wrote in a statement. “Typical of Sullivans Cove’s spirit of this era, this whisky was bold, meaty, and full-bodied from the very beginning. However, there was a greater depth of balance to be discovered, and we felt that the delicacy of an American Oak ex-Apera cask would be the perfect match.”

The Sullivans Cove 24-Year-Old American Oak Apera Finish, Single Cask Nº HH0005 will be available to purchase exclusively via ballot from 10am AEST on Monday, May 12 until 10am AEST on Tuesday, May 20. A total of 324 bottles will be sold, each priced at AUD$2,500 and representing the ‘first and last of its kind’.

Sullivans Cove 24-Year-Old American Oak Apera Finish, Single Cask Nº HH0005

• Brand: Sullivans Cove
• Release: 24 Year Old American Oak Apera Finish
• Cask: Nº HH0005
• Filled: 8/10/1999
• Bottled: 16/10/2024
• ABV: 51.1%
• Size: 700ml
• Price: AUD$2,500
• Bottles: 324
• Availability: Exclusively via ballot
• Timing: 10am AEST Monday, May 12 – 10am AEST Tuesday, May 20
• Tasting Notes
  • Aroma: Chocolate and coconut, warmth of baking apples and walnuts grounds the richness, with nougat notes, thick cream, vanilla, sweet delicate spice and almonds.
  • Palate: Full bodied with a sublime texture thick silk, almost velvet.
  • Finish: Gentle cinnamon gives way to a hint of clove and black pepper, warming the palate before the rich depth of chocolate begins to unfold.