Sullivans Cove : Special Cask #7 American Oak Ex-Apera Cask (TD0214)

Tasting characteristics and tips for Sullivans Cove Special Cask #7 American Oak Ex-Apera Cask (TD0214)

Tasting

Nose
The nose is round and delicious, with fragrances of beeswax, spring flowers, dark orange amaro, wild strawberries, rose, caramel, peaches in syrup, red bell peppers, pine nuts, and also a hint of smoke.

Palate
A dense, creamy attack is joined by notes of fruit jellies, dried apple, stewed pear, banana, kiwi, tangerine, marmalade, and even coconut blossom sugar. The fine tannic structure carries on with notes of cola, dates, rye bread, honey, and beeswax. You’ll also find anise seeds, red bell peppers, basil, coconut, along with a hint of grapefruit and blackcurrant.

Food pairings and serving moments

This exceptional whisky is best enjoyed neat, at room temperature, to fully appreciate its aromatic complexity. Its fruity, pastry-like richness pairs particularly well with candied fruit desserts, Middle Eastern pastries such as baklava, or blue cheeses. It can also accompany a contemplative tasting moment at the end of a meal.

An exceptional Tasmanian single malt aged in ex-Apera casks

Sullivans Cove: the excellence of Tasmanian Australian whisky

Founded in Tasmania in 1994, Sullivans Cove experienced a notable renaissance after its acquisition in 2004 by a group of investors alongside Patrick Maguire. In 2014, its American Oak Cask HH0525 won the title of World’s Best Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards, propelling Tasmanian whisky onto the international stage. Based in Cambridge, near Hobart, the distillery has continued to grow while preserving artisanal production. From 2016 to 2023, Adam Sable served as CEO. Today, under the leadership of CEO Andy Gaunt and distillery manager Heather Tillott, this brand—one of the most awarded in Australia—continues to embody precision, patience, and expressiveness.

Special Cask #7: an ultra-limited Apera cask release

The Special Cask #7 American Oak Ex-Apera Cask (TD0214) belongs to Sullivans Cove’s Special Cask range, reserved for the distillery’s rarest whiskies. This is an exceptional single cask, cask TD0214, a 300-liter first-fill American oak cask that previously held Apera, an Australian fortified wine in the sherry style. Distilled in November 2011 and bottled in October 2019 after 11 years and 11 months of maturation, this Australian whisky was released in February 2020 as an exclusive, in extremely limited quantities with only 281 numbered bottles, making it a collector’s item sought after by enthusiasts around the world.

The choice of an ex-Apera cask lends this whisky a unique aromatic palette, combining the fruity richness and pastry notes characteristic of this type of maturation. Presented in a luxurious case, this unpeated single malt expresses the full authenticity and know-how of Sullivans Cove.