You might ask what is a Burns Night?
Every year on the 25th of January, Scottish traditions are celebrated across the world in honour of the renowned Scotland’s National Bard, Robert Burns.
A Scottish bard is an ancient Celtic minstrel-poet, and Robert Burns is Scotland's national bard, much like William Shakespeare is England's national bard
Burns Night is celebrated worldwide by those who feel connected to Scotland and love its traditions, including haggis, music, dance, and, of course, a fine dram of whisky.
For this reason, multiple Tasmanian Burns Nights are organised across our state because, let’s be honest, who doesn’t enjoy a fine whisky and a fantastic themed event?
Our pick of Tasmanian Burns Night is listed below. The links below provide more information and tickets. It is the perfect excuse to raise a toast to Robert Burns (and Tasmanian whisky!).
Burns Night at Hellyers Road Distillery
The Burnie Highland Pipe Band will partner with Hellyers Road Distillery to host a Scottish night to raise funds for the pipe band.
Guests will experience the traditional haggis ceremony and be treated to a Scottish inspired three-course menu, highland dancing display, poetry, piping and a performance by the Burnie Highland Pipe Band. A fund-raising auction will feature a rare Hellyers Road 16-Year-Old whisky, crowned Australia’s Best Single Cask Single Malt at the 2024 World Whiskies Awards, offering a unique opportunity for collectors. Funds raised from the night will help support the pipe band to replace and update uniform items and provide musical tuition to the local community.
Special guest on the night will be the Pipe Band’s Patron, Malcolm Murray the 12th Earl of Dunmore. “The Burns Night is such an important event. Not only celebrating Burns’ birthday on the actual date of his birth, but celebrating Scottish culture.”, says Murray. “I am excited to be involved with this event and to be the proud Patron of such an active and exciting pipe band.”
To book your tickets for the Burns Night, visit the Burns Night at Hellyer's Road Distillery website.
Burns Supper at The Queens Head
WhiskyIsMyJam presents the launch of an all new Tasmanian Single Malt upstairs at The Queens Head North Hobart, and what better date than on a Burns Night Supper alongside Scotch Whisky from distilleries associated with 'The Bard'.
Huntingfield Whisky is one of the latest Tasmanian Single Malts, with their first release ex-bourbon cask distilled, matured and crafted by the team at White Label Distillery located in Huntingfield just south of Hobart. The evening will also feature a preview of their future special release!
We will celebrate the life of Scotland's national poet through the medium of whisky from the Lowlands (Ayrshire) and Island Regions.
Reserve your seat for the Burns Supper by visiting Whisky is My Jam.
On Tuesday, December 10, 2024, Barnbougle Golf Links, the iconic Links Golf Resort on the northeast coast of Tasmania celebrates its 20 year anniversary.
To mark the occasion, Barnbougle, in partnership with Hellyers Road Distillery, have brought together two of life’s greatest pleasures—great golf and great whisky– to launch a limited edition Barnbougle Anniversary 20-year-old Single Malt.
Carefully matured over two decades, Barnbougle Golf celebrates classic links architecture, Tasmanian provenance and exceptional craftsmanship. In the whisky making world, similar characteristics resonate with Hellyers Road Distillery, who are revered for their traditional style of whisky making and local heritage.
Born from humble beginnings, Barnbougle’s first course, The Dunes, opened for play on the 10th December 2004. Launching to much acclaim, the beach-front routing, though spectacular, was considered by many as remote and emphatically unreachable. As the course matured, the accolades began rolling in and so too did the golfers. In 2005, The Dunes became the first new Australian course to enter the World Top 100 since rankings began, and has remained there since.
In 2010, a second course, The Lost Farm, was added. Upon opening it immediately joined The Dunes in the World Top 100 ratings, cementing Barnbougle as a bucket list golf destination for golfers from across the globe.
Richard Sattler, the owner and founder of Barnbougle comments:
‘As a family-owned business, we’re incredibly proud of Barnbougle’s journey from non-arable dunes on a beef and potato farm to a bucket list golf destination.’
‘Such a milestone should be celebrated. Given fine whisky, like great links, benefits from exceptional craftsmanship and matures with age, our partnership with Hellyers Road was a natural alignment. We couldn’t think of a better way to toast the anniversary of Barnbougle than with a fellow 20-year-old Tasmanian.’ He said.
Filled into barrel in 2004, the 20-year-old single malt was matured in ex-Bourbon American Oak for 18 years. In 2022 it was transferred into a single French Oak cask previously used to age Fortified Tasmanian Ruby Pinot. Hellyers Road Distillery CEO Derek Charge comments:
‘This remarkable single malt is as unique as it is old. The additional two years this whisky has spent maturing in a Tasmanian Ruby Pinot wine casks adds to its uniqueness and has given the whisky an incredible, deep red hue.’
‘The fact that this whisky was first filled into cask the year Barnbougle was founded is fortuitous and makes for a very special collaboration. It’s very rare to have an Australian single malt whisky of this age custom bottled and labelled. Perhaps so rare it has never been done to this level before in Australia.’ Said Charge.
The special release 20-year-old Tasmanian Single Malt has been selected and bottled to celebrate 20 years of Barnbougle. Each bottle is individually numbered and sealed with cork and wax seal. The unique presentation boxes are exclusively hand-crafted for Hellyers Road Distillery from sustainably sourced Tasmanian Oak.
Limited to one cask and 405 bottles the Barnbougle x Hellyers Road Anniversary 20-year-old Single Malt retails at $1500 per bottle.
See Barnbougle website for more information and to purchase.
Australia’s home of global-award-winning spirits.
Prepare to be enchanted by the Tasmanian Whisky and Spirits Trails, a passage into the realm of liquid spirits. Journey through stunning landscapes, meet passionate artisans and sample the best of Tasmania’s whisky, gin and spirits.
Access the trails connecting the many cellar doors scattered throughout the island. Their tasting rooms and restaurants are turning these distilleries into destinations on their own, with plenty to see and do in between.
Choose your own itinerary, visit your favourite distilleries, meet the makers and discover the true spirit of the Island.