After seven years of patience, persistence and a fair bit of experimentation, Lord Howe Island Distilling Co. has released its very first whisky – Rise. Launched at the Golf Club on Wednesday, 14th January, 2026, to a crowd of 50 enthusiasts who enjoyed a curated spirits-infused menu, prepared by David Chlumski.
For founders Anthony Riddle and Christian Young, the launch marks the end of a long journey that began not with whisky, but with a shared idea: that Lord Howe Island could produce spirits that reflected its unique environment, history and character. “When we first started, we didn’t know where it would lead,” Christian said. “We just knew we wanted to build something that was authentic, heroed the island, utilised the Island’s endemic botanicals, Anthony’s six generations of island ancestry, but also something that respected its isolation, its climate and its story.”
Over the past seven years, the pair have navigated everything from supply challenges and freight logistics to licensing, ageing trials and the slow, quiet work of learning how whisky behaves in a maritime climate. Barrels were laid down with no guarantee of what would emerge – only the belief that time, salt air and summer heat would shape something distinctive.
Rise is a single malt, single-grain whisky matured on Lord Howe Island for four years, influenced by warm summers, cool winters, and the ever-present ocean air. Over the four years in the cask, the Island has experienced deep low and high pressure swings, forcing the whisky deep into the French Oak Port cask. Each push and pull creating deeper layers of character from the elusive Devil’s Cut (that’s the whisky that soaks into the wood and is very hard to extract back out).
The result is delicate and floral with rich dried fig, raisin and peach notes, and a gentle port-soaked warmth. A whisky shaped by weather, wood, and one of the most extraordinary places on earth.
The name Rise reflects both the deep-sea plateau on which the Island sits, and also our dark spirits business direction, and the journey behind it – rising from an idea into a finished spirit, and rising out of years of quiet work behind the scenes.
“There were moments when it would have been easier to give up or rush it,” Anthony said. “But whisky doesn’t reward shortcuts. It rewards time.”
Rise Whisky is now available in limited release from the Distillery, and you can try it by visiting Anchorage Restaurant, The Crooked Post and The Golf Club. It marks a proud moment for the Island’s growing craft spirits story, and a reminder that some things are worth waiting for.
Many thanks to Bronwyn and Lucinda Tofaeono, Izzy, Tim, Jack, David and the entire Anchorage team for a fabulous evening.
This article appeared in The Lord Howe Island Signal, 31 January 2026.
