community

Trouble at Old Mill: Tasmanian distillery rocked by bankruptcy

Posted by: Nick

Angels Share Trip (6)

Over the duration of co-running this blog, I have waffled at length about the friendly and supportive whisky community in my home state of Tasmania. Well, forget all that – because a Tasmanian distillery is in trouble and no one seems to care.

It was recently revealed that the founder, figurehead and all-round head honcho of Nant Distillery, Keith Batt, has filed for bankruptcy. Batt, a Queensland businessman, built Nant distillery up from nothing, restoring the old water mill and establishing Nant whisky bars across the globe; not to mention claiming several liquid gold prizes along the way for his wares. He’s done amazing things for Tasmanian whisky – so why are people not more concerned for his distillery?

I’ll admit that I am exaggerating a touch in saying that no one cares – I for one certainly care. Over the years I’ve experienced many pleasant evenings sampling drams at the Nant Whisky Bar in Hobart, enhanced immeasurably by their wonderful staff members who are always happy to indulge my whisky curiosity. I have visited the picturesque distillery in Bothwell and enjoyed wandering their grounds on a near perfect summers day. I own a bottle of their port matured single malt and will be sad when the last drop disappears. I will forever stand by the product and the staff. But Nant Distillery itself is a hard one to like.

I love being part of this little whisky business here in Tassie so much so that I sometimes forget that it is exactly that – a business. Nant’s management have not lost sight of this. Keith Batt has not set out to make friends, but to create a whisky empire bent on global domination. Taking part in local Tasmanian tasting events is not part of this vision. Nor is pooling resources and sharing promotion. Other distilleries are not co-creators, but competitors. This outlook is both business savvy and totally opposite to the remainder of Tasmania’s close-knit distilling community. I agree with Batt’s motives, but not his means.

Nant by Whisky Waffle

Say what you will about the man – but he sure builds a pretty distillery

So how exactly will Keith Batt’s bankruptcy affect the distillery? According to the man himself, not at all. Batt is understandably keen to calm the waters, pointing out to The Mercury in Hobart last week that as of August last year he is “not a director, a shareholder or a beneficiary of that trust”. This role was recently (and conveniently) reappointed to his wife, Margaret Letizia. And yes, it does all sound rather dodgy, although it can be said that his financial problems were not in fact due to distillery-related debts, but issues for his property development business which is still experiencing a hangover from the global financial crisis of six years ago.

There are a number of people waiting with baited breath for the smoke to clear over Batt’s financial problems. For a start there are the thousands of investors who have pledged over 18 million dollars into barrels of whisky that they may never see. I caught up with one such investor who told me:

“As a whisky barrel owner, you start to wonder how much substance is contained within the creamy embossed paper of the share certificates. I don’t own the barrels, only what is in them and should the business go under I don’t know what I’m going to do with four hundred and fifty litres of half finished whisky or even how I’d get it home. Can you just turn up with a boot load of jerry cans? Guaranteed buy back? Nothing is guaranteed.”

While most seek only to see their money returned, others have attempted to claim their barrel with little success. However, for a man so protective of his brand, I can understand his hesitancy in seeing his product in other bottlers’ hands. Referring to them as “inferior brands” however is an unkind assumption and further evidence of why he is far from popular among the Tasmanian distillers community.

Chilling at Nant

Photographic evidence of a great afternoon at Nant. Yep, isn’t my beard awesome.

It’s hard to fully sympathise with the struggling Keith Batt and his business-first methodology. However, I prefer to make my best effort to differentiate the distillery from its management. For the sake of their investors, their staff and heck, let’s not forget their high-quality whisky, I hope that Nant Distillery is not adversely affected by their founder’s financial predicament.

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The Tasmanian Whisky Appreciation Society

Posted by: Nick and Ted

We may have mentioned (once or twice) that we live in Tasmania. Within our little state we have the joy of seeing the local whisky industry going from strength to strength. Around it we’ve also seen the development of a real whisky community, which is both exciting and satisfying to be a part of.

At the forefront of this community is the Tasmanian Whisky Appreciation Society, known to one and all as TWAS. Headed up by Heartwood Malt Whisky’s own Tim Duckett and as well as Richard Stewart, TWAS is a great repository of knowledge, observations, and experience about the Tasmanian whisky scene (and the wider world of whisky in general).

TWAS whisky waffleTWAS hold tasting evenings open to the general public at intervals determined by the amount of time required to get over the previous one. The lads at Whisky Waffle sadly live at the wrong end of the state and have not yet made it along to one of these gatherings (although we definitely hope to in the future). In the meantime we’ve managed to bag ourselves the next best thing!

Whisky Waffle are proud and excited to welcome TWAS’ own Richard Stewart aboard the good ship WW as a guest contributor. Tune in tomorrow to catch his first review (what could it be?), and over the coming months for the odd update about TWAS, and in the best tradition of this blog, random wafflings about whisky.

Find out more about TWAS at their website, or for more regular updates check out their Facebook and/or their Twitter.

The Whisky Waffle community

Posted by: Nick

The more I discover about the Tasmanian whisky scene, the more I appreciate the close-knit little community that has developed. People are friendly, enthusiastic and willing to help out one another to ensure this thriving industry continues to boom. Our website is only a tiny part of the bigger picture but we would love to help foster this sense of community.

And on that note, we would like to announce the next writer upon Whisky Waffle: YOU! Well – it could be you! If anyone has a piece they are keen to share with the world, or a dram they are desperate to review, send us an email at whiskywaffle@gmail.com and let us know!

So with no further ado may I introduce our first guest contributor: Mr Alex ‘Mooresy’ Moores!

Mooresy and Nick are in 'good spirits' after meeting Jim McEwan. See what I did there?

Mooresy and Nick are in ‘good spirits’ after meeting Jim McEwan. See what I did there?

I met Mooresy while attending the Jim McEwan night last Thursday and was impressed by his enthusiasm and passion for the water of life. His first review will hit the site tomorrow and I assure you, it’s a cracker of a read. Make sure you stop by to check it out!

Until then, keep waffling!

 

Photo provided by the TWAS. Used with permission.

My trip to Talisker Distillery

There is a wonderful sense of community associated with whisky. I’ve witnessed it in many forms. A group of revellers at a bar in Scotland. A celebration between good mates. The support offered between establishments in the Tasmanian whisky industry. Talisker distillery.

The Isle of Skye is a breathtaking place full of beautiful scenery and quaint, friendly villages. Sadly, my time there was cut short, including my tour of the distillery Talisker. I was lucky to be afforded a half hour visit to cancel my booking and simply see it with my own eyes. While there, the distillery was able to fulfil my wishes and dreams, despite the shortness of my stay.

At Tallisker

Upon arriving I inhaled the wonderful sea air and hints of peat smoke emanating from the premises, and got a helpful tourist to provide photographic evidence of my presence. Then, upon entering the visitor centre, I told the tale of the unfortunate reasons behind my early departure from Skye and cause of my booking cancellation.

The response was immediate. “Have you got a couple of minutes”, one gentleman asked, and upon my positive reply escorted me into the maturation warehouse usually only seen upon a formal tour of the facility. We discussed their aging of the barrels and the variety of casks used in the process. He was interested in my little state of Tasmania and the whisky being created there. Then a tour group arrived and we quickly scurried back to the tasting area.

“While you’re here, you had better do a tasting”, he proclaimed. I did not protest. “I’ve tried the 10 Year Old,” I confessed “and liked it very much”. “Ok,” he replied “have you had the 18 Year Old?”

Twenty minutes later, and my visiting time elapsed, not only had I discovered my new favourite Talisker expression – but I had done so twice – for after the magnificent 18 Year Old, he produced a ‘Triple Matured’ dram only available to the ‘Friends of the Classic Malts’ several years prior to my visit. And this special Distillers Edition was exceptional. Smoke balanced with sherry, dryness balanced with typical Talisker brown sugar. A wonderful, memorable whisky, given to me at no charge.

Talisker, on this day, really solidified in my mind the community that comes with this great drink. In Scotland, or anywhere around the world where it is created, there is a sense of comradery and good will. In fact, as I write this I sip upon a dram of Talisker 10 Year Old, not belonging to me – my good friend Ross left a bottle here after a pleasant night of catching up and one or two (or more) tastings. He will likely only discover my cheeky nip upon reading this post, though I am confident that will embrace the spirit that I have mentioned here and simply say: “Sláinte”.