Hangar 17 is the old home of Ansett Airlines at Launceston Airport. 

Ansett folded in 2002, and distiller Chris Condon mused it could have been even longer ago since the hangar was inhabited.

Today, the team is staring down the barrel of its first whisky release, and its second Tasmanian Whisky Week.

The week, which kicked off on August 4 and runs until August 13, celebrates the successes of Tasmanian whisky makers across the state.

Launceston Distillery was just 10 months old when it took part in the inaugural week last year.

Twelve months later, the team is eagerly watching the calendar as the days count down to November.

That’s when their whisky will have been aged in barrels for two years, the minimum time frame for a spirit to be sold as whisky, under national regulations.

“It’s been a long-term game, and we have to be patient with it,” Condon said, adding that they hoped to release their first batch for sale early next year.

With many of the casks pre-sold, and interest continuing to grow, Condon has recently upped his hours as the distiller to full time, and produces about three 100-litre barrels a week.

With a background as a distiller at Nant in the state’s south, Condon said he saw an opportunity to expand the thriving whisky culture into Northern Tasmania.

Now, the Northern scene has expanded, with producers such as Adam’s Distillery at Perth, and Fannys Bay in the North-East, coming on board.

Condon said while whisky in Tasmania appeared to be an overnight success, the community had been “quietly building” for about 15 years, built around the backbone of Bill Lark’s Lark Distillery.

Launceston Distillery will be taking part in two key events for Tasmanian Whisky Week.

On August 9, they’ll team up with distilleries from around Tasmania to showcase six whiskies, including some of their pre-release single malts, paired with canapes from Henry’s Restaurant in Launceston.

In conjunction with the Tasmanian Whisky Academy, the distillery will hold a short course about the process from barley to barrel, and the business that goes with it.

Fannys Bay Distillery will also take part in a meet-the-maker evening on August 10, at Kingsway Bar in Launceston.

For a full list of events, and to buy tickets, visit taswhiskyweek.com