24 Aug 2025
In July 2025, Tasmania’s pioneering whisky house LARK unveiled the latest in its coveted Rare Cask Series: Mizunara Oak Cask.003. Priced at AUD 1,000, this limited release embodies the artistry of blending Japanese heritage with Tasmanian terroir, a whisky that bridges cultures through patience, precision, and passion.
The Mizunara oak cask, revered for its scarcity and distinctive grain, takes centuries to mature—trees must often reach 200 years before they can be harvested, with strict Japanese regulations prohibiting felling under 80 years of age. This extraordinary rarity makes Mizunara one of the most prized casks in the whisky world. For LARK, finishing its Cambridge single malt (5–7 years, 30 percent peated) in Mizunara delivers a whisky layered with complexity and elegance.
On the nose, Mizunara Batch 003 reveals coconut, sandalwood, maple-baked pears, and delicate heather honey. The palate is lush with peaches and cream, caramelised banana, oak, and crystallised ginger, while the finish lingers with orange zest panna cotta, coffee bean, pastry cream, and a wisp of white pepper. It is a delicate yet powerful experience that reflects both the purity of Tasmanian craft and the refinement of Japanese oak.
Batch 003 was bottled by hand, the result of longer seven-day fermentation, post-malt peat smoking, and small cask maturation—techniques that sacrifice yield for flavour and complexity. As Master Distiller Bill Lark has long emphasised, whisky is a reward of patience, and Mizunara Oak Cask.003 is its eloquent proof.
The LARK Rare Cask Series Mizunara Oak Cask.003 is available in a 700ml format at 46% ABV through selected premium retailers and larkdistillery.com, a rare opportunity to taste a whisky where the heart of Japan meets the soul of Tasmania.
