Time and Tide wait for no one - but at Waubs Harbour, they distill both.

Imagine if Poseidon, weary from a long voyage, traded his trident for a tasting glass and decided to retire at the edge of Tasmania. You might find him here, among the weather-beaten casks of Waubs Harbour Distillery, where whisky breathes the same air as the sea birds and the salt hangs thick enough to season every sip. Housed in a former oyster hatchery, this isn’t a mere distillery - it’s a reclamation of rhythm, a place where waves and whisky speak a common language of patience, pressure, and provenance.

Behaves like a gentleman, kicks like a convict - Tasmania’s finest doing time in glass.

There’s an old maritime superstition that the sea keeps her own secrets, but founder Bec and Head Distillery Rob of Waubs Harbour seem to have charmed a few from her depths. Their spirits aren’t just shaped by science and seasoned wood; they carry the imprint of a place where every dram tastes like a whispered legend. Part alchemy, part biography, part elemental hymn - Waubs Harbour whisky is less a product and more a portrait of the coast itself.

In a world where brands shout to be heard, Waubs Harbour prefers the subtle eloquence of sea spray and stillness. This is whisky made not for mass applause, but for those who understand that true luxury lives in texture, in origin stories, in the craft of doing things the long way.

We sat down with Bec and Rob to talk about salt-stung casks, quiet confidence, fermentation as philosophy, and the strange poetry of building a legacy from the bones of an oyster farm.

1. Establishing a distillery in a repurposed oyster hatchery on the edge of the Southern Ocean is undeniably poetic. Was this choice driven more by instinct, romance, or a strategic sense of terroir?

Bec: Our oceanside location is first and foremost about the terroir.  We wanted to create a truly maritime Tasmanian whisky which embraced the influence of the cold, salty air that surrounds our buildings and settles on our maturing casks.  It’s an undeniably beautiful location and a special place to come every day but it’s about more than just that.

2. Your whiskies are often described as having a distinctive maritime character. How do you distinguish between genuine coastal influence and the mythology that so often surrounds it?

Bec: When you come to the distillery, you cannot deny the coastal influence on our buildings, our casks and our whisky. Salt is on everything and rusts the tops of rings on the casks within just weeks.  The wood of the casks breathe in and out with the changing air pressure, taking in the salty air and we’re seeing a unique characteristic in our whisky that we’re not seeing in whiskies matured elsewhere. 

3. Waubs Harbour operates with an enviable sense of restraint - both in aesthetic and in approach. In a market where louder often seems to win, is quiet confidence your secret ingredient?

Bec: Our philosophy has always been about creating a whisky that we truly love and sharing it with those who value the things that we do. For us, that means making the highest quality whisky we can, doing everything from start to finish in-house, and one that’s a reflection of our lives here in Bicheno on the east coast of Tassie. We’re simply sharing the story of those two things.

4. Tasmania has swiftly become a whisky capital of the Southern Hemisphere. Do you feel yourselves as custodians of a regional identity, or are you deliberately charting a more singular course?

Bec: We absolutely see ourselves as custodians of the Tasmanian identity, while still remaining true to our own distinctive personality within that.  It’s still early days for Tassie whisky, particularly internationally, so it’s important that we as an industry together honour and showcase the things that make our provenance and our whisky uniquely special.

Is it just me, or does this crew look like they’ve distilled more mischief than whisky?

5. The proximity to the sea is central to your narrative. Beyond poetic licence, can you speak to the tangible effects of coastal maturation on flavour, texture, or aroma?

Bec: There are a number of ways the ocean influences our whisky - we’re often seeing a brininess, particularly on the nose, as well as a unique maritime characteristic within the whisky itself. We see the ocean’s impact not as making salty whisky but as drawing out flavour.

Being so close to the ocean also makes for a very stable maturation environment. We don’t see the weather extremes that some parts of our state do - we very rarely have morning frosts or very hot days. It’s very stable which makes for slow and steady maturation.

6. Rob, your transition from brewing to distilling speaks to a mastery of fermentation. How does your background shape your creative decisions, and are there sensibilities you’ve brought across the aisle?

Rob: My science background in microbiology has definitely given me a lens to view brewing and distilling in a new light.  The chemistry and biology of what happens in the distillery is amazing, but it is the cross over this the art/craft of whisky that is even more so.  I have always had a keen interest in all things micro, from cheese making, cured meats, bee keeping, and more, all of which have a micro/science background.  Fundamentals in science have helped inform creative decision making, a natural curiosity on how and why, and a craving for all things tasty.

7. Bec, as the steward of Waubs Harbour’s story and identity, how do you craft a brand that feels both luxurious and grounded - anchored in place, yet globally resonant?

Bec: By simply sharing the true story of what we do and why we do it. Our idea of luxury is not about fancy cars and gold trim but the simple luxuries in life - sipping a whisky watching the waves roll in, catching fresh seafood for tonight’s dinner or the craftsmanship of making something from scratch. Our whisky resonates with those who share the same values, regardless of where they are in the world.

8. There’s a quiet alchemy to what you do - part science, part art, part patience. In your view, where does the soul of a whisky truly reside: in the grain, the cask, the place, or the people?

Bec: It’s truly a combination of ingredients, place and people. Without the highest quality ingredients, casks and equipment, we wouldn’t be able to make the highest quality whisky. Without the coastal provenance and stable maturation condition, the whisky would mature differently. Without the incredible science knowledge and meticulous craftsmanship of Rob, we wouldn’t be able to make a maritime single malt whisky that’s uniquely our own. 

9. If Waubs Harbour were not a distillery but a literary character, who might it be? The enigmatic sailor? The brooding romantic? Or perhaps the philosopher watching the tides roll in?

Bec: Waubs Harbour would definitely be an old salty sea dog - well weathered, happiest on the open ocean with a whisky in a tin cup, watching the waves.

10.When the barrels are still and the sea hushes for the night, what is your ideal pour - and with whom, across time or geography, would you most like to share it?

Rob: I like to tailor my whisky choice depending on the company and the moment. Around the campfire with family I’d choose a sweet lingering Tasmanian drop that creates conversation. Out deep sea fishing with mates, it would be a strong high strength, warming swig.  Or dinning, a nice light Scottish style that I can easily distinguish the nuance, before hopping into the entree.

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Words and questions by AW.

Answers by Bec / Rob of Waubs Harbour Distillery.

Photo courtesy of Waubs Harbour Distillery.