Kempton is a quaint relic town from Tasmanian’s colonial era, located in the Southern midlands on the highway to Launceston. Old Kempton Distillery is perhaps the oldest part of the town and is located on the main street not far from the post office, an 1800s coach (the horse-drawn type) stop, and um a few houses of the claimed 300 residents. And not much else… Having said that, it’s a truly quiet respite from the hustle and bustle of the main north-south highway.
The Old Kempton Distillery itself comprises a few buildings that have been more bought up to a usable standard rather than been extesnsively ronavated. I think this adds to the charm. The distillery itself is in the old stables building and in fact, one of Old Kempton’s whisky is called exactly that – Old Stables. The cellar door and function centre is housed in Dysart House – an 1840s sandstone mansion that presents a very handsome vista as you pull in off the main street.
On the day in Autumn 2021 that mybottleshop.com pays a visit, Rob the Distiller is busy doing tours with visitors. Erin the cellar door manager is super friendly and runs me through each of the Old Kempton (many) releases of both whisky and gin. Martin the CEO pops his head in and says hello and introduces himself. My feeling, after witnessing the distillery operation and eyeballing the impressive-looking bottles, is that we need to see more of Old Kempton’s products on the Australian mainland.
It has to be said that the bottles are expensive (some are over $250) but bear in mind this is a small hand production distillery and each production run produces only a tiny amount of bottles – sometimes less than 150 bottles at a time. Like many Australian distillers, Old Kempton covers the cost of whisky wait times by producing gin (Settlers) and a lovely Lavender liqueur.
The range of Old Kempton Australia whiskies include:
- Old Kempton Single Malt – Pinot Noir Cask
- Old Kempton Single Malt – Port Cask
- Old Kempton Single Malt – Sherry Cask
- Old Kempton Single Malt – Bourbon Cask
There are also some limited edition whiskies like the Winter Solstice release and also an entry level whisky – the Old Stables which comes in at an approachable $139 per bottle.
As for actually tasting the whisky, I popped open the lid of a uniquely shaped 200mL sherry cask ‘traveller’ bottle. Tasting notes are as follows:
Nose: Promises florals and sweet fruity notes of nectarine and peach wrapped in a parcel of delicate old oak.
Palate: Opening is all sweetness and juicy fruit elements but across the palate the magic begins and a transformation occurs with exotic spices and sherbet notes coming in late to create a complex and beguiling mix of sweet and savoury.
Finish: The finish is dramatic and elegant with late dryness from the old oak tannins complimenting the spices and sweet floral elements in a perfect crescendo
Time to hit the road for more whisky and wine adventures…