Tasmanian whisky producer Lark Distilling Co has closed FY26 with fourth quarter net sales of $5 million, up 44 per cent on the prior corresponding period (pcp), taking full year net sales to $18 million, a 15 per cent increase on FY25.
The June quarter result was driven by the rollout of the company’s new Signature Whisky Range, which launched into Australian airports during the period. Global Travel Retail (GTR) sales more than doubled to $0.7 million, up 107 per cent pcp, on the back of activations at Sydney and Melbourne airports.
Domestic business-to-business net sales grew eight per cent, which the company said reflected encouraging early performance of the Signature range through the trade.
Other channels, including cask sales and sales through The Whisky Club, delivered net sales of $1.4 million, up $1.1 million on pcp.
Domestic direct-to-consumer sales were flat at $1.7 million, with hospitality revenue from its Hobart venue, Gotham at The Still, offsetting timing differences in specialty limited whisky releases. International sales were stable at $0.3 million.
Cash position
Net operating cash outflows narrowed to $1.2 million for the quarter, compared to outflows of $2.1 million in the March quarter, although wider than the $0.3 million outflow in the pcp.
Customer receipts totalled $4.8 million, up $1 million on the prior quarter, which Lark said primarily reflected the timing of collections on Signature range pipefill sales made in Q3.
Advertising and marketing payments rose to $1.4 million on launch activity for the Signature range, while staff costs of $2.2 million were up $0.3 million on the prior quarter due to the timing of payroll-related payments, including superannuation guarantee contributions.
The company ended the financial year with $14.3 million in cash, including $11 million in term deposits, and its $5 million committed facility with National Australia Bank remains undrawn. Lark said the balance sheet provided flexibility to support operational requirements and growth initiatives across domestic, GTR and international markets.
At 30 June, Lark held a whisky bank of approximately 2.4 million litres, which it described as a strategic asset supporting its growth plans.
The Signature collection was named World’s Best Design and Best Range Design at the 2026 World Whiskies Awards, where master distiller Chris Thomson was also awarded Master Distiller/Blender of the Year.
