Greenbanks, co-founded by Hugh Roxburgh, has set its sights on revolutionizing Tasmania’s whisky industry by tackling one of its most formidable challenges: affordability. With a distillery capable of producing three million liters of alcohol annually—more than one-and-a-half times the current industry output for the entire state—Greenbanks aims to scale production to alleviate the high price points that have hindered Tasmanian whisky’s broader accessibility.
Hugh Roxburgh highlighted Tasmania’s stellar global reputation in whisky, underscored by numerous international awards. However, he pointed out that despite the high quality, Tasmania produces only around two million liters of alcohol per year. In comparison, Japan and Scotland produce vastly larger volumes, resulting in Tasmanian whisky’s premium pricing.
To address this issue, Greenbanks plans not only to produce its own whisky at more accessible price points but also to offer contract distilling services. This initiative is intended to support new and existing Tasmanian whisky producers who may find the initial capital investment in large-scale distillation prohibitive. By outsourcing production to Greenbanks, distilleries can focus on marketing, branding, and innovation, including exploring new whisky styles beyond traditional single malts.
Hugh Roxburgh emphasized that Greenbanks’ facilities include a 1000-liter R&D still for recipe experimentation, as well as state-of-the-art automation and barrel management systems to ensure consistent quality. The distillery will provide comprehensive services from distillation to bottling, including storage in ATO-bonded warehouses.
In addition to expanding production capacity, Greenbanks aims to foster a collaborative environment among Tasmanian whisky producers, positioning the region as a formidable player in the global whisky market. With industry veterans like John Slattery and Tim Salt on board, along with experienced directors and operational staff, Greenbanks is poised to drive growth and innovation within Tasmania’s whisky sector.
Looking forward, Hugh Roxburgh expressed optimism about Tasmania’s potential to become a prominent whisky province on the global stage. He stressed the importance of significantly increasing production volume to compete alongside established whisky regions worldwide, envisioning a future where Tasmanian whiskies are readily available alongside their international counterparts on shelves worldwide.
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