THEDAILYWHISKY

Dark Lark No.166 Special Edition is LARK Distillery’s 2026 annual Signature release, a 43% ABV Tasmanian single malt matured in fortified wine casks. According to LARK, the whisky opens with lemon shortbread and wild strawberry before moving into blackcurrant jam, berry custard and dark chocolate-covered cherries, finishing on toasted marzipan and honey. It costs AUD $150 for a 700ml bottle and ships internationally to 16 countries via larkdistillery.com

Every year, LARK Distillery picks its darkest, most fortified-forward casks and puts a number on the bottle instead of a name. This year it’s Dark Lark No.166.

Dark Lark No.166 is the 2026 edition of LARK’s annual Signature special release, a 43% ABV Tasmanian single malt priced at AUD $150 for a 700ml bottle. It follows Dark Lark 2025, which picked up two Gold medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and continues LARK’s house style of building whisky around Australian fortified wine casks rather than the ex-bourbon and sherry casks that dominate Scotch production.

What is Dark Lark No.166 Special Edition?

Dark Lark is LARK’s yearly showcase of what fortified cask maturation can do to a Tasmanian single malt. According to the distillery, No.166 brings dark fruit, sticky figs and spiced syrup from the fortified casks, balanced against lighter shortbread and wild strawberry notes that develop into honey over time. It’s bottled at 43% ABV, unpeated, and sits at the more indulgent, dessert-leaning end of LARK’s range rather than the smoky Tasmanian Peated expression the distillery also produces.

Who is LARK Distillery and why the fortified cask focus matters

LARK was founded in 1992 by Bill and Lyn Lark, who had to get Tasmania’s distillation laws changed before they could legally produce single malt on the island for the first time in over 150 years. That fight earned Bill Lark the nickname “the Godfather of Australian whisky,” and the distillery he built has since become the reference point for the entire Tasmanian whisky scene that followed it.

Today LARK is based at Pontville on the historic Shene Estate, with Chris Thomson, who joined as an apprentice under Bill and became Master Distiller in 2010, now running production. In 2026 Thomson was named Master Distiller/Blender of the Year (Rest of World) at the World Whiskies Awards Icons of Whisky.

What sets LARK’s house style apart from Scotch conventions is the cask programme: rather than leaning on bourbon barrels, LARK selects casks from Australia’s fortified wine producers, historically sourcing from Seppeltsfield in South Australia. That’s why LARK whiskies tend to run richer, oilier and sweeter than a typical Highland or Speyside malt, and it’s the same principle driving Dark Lark’s dark fruit and syrup character. LARK also became the first certified carbon-neutral distillery in Australia in 2021, which the brand leans on as part of its sustainability story.

Dark Lark No.166 tasting notes

According to LARK Distillery:

Nose: lemon shortbread, wild strawberry, blackcurrant jam, orchid blossom
Palate: berry custard, espresso gelato, dark chocolate-covered cherries, sticky figs
Finish: peach crumble, almond meringue, toasted marzipan, soft honey
ABV: 43% | Cask type: fortified wine casks | Price: AUD $150 (700ml)

As with all untasted new releases on TDW, these notes are the distillery’s own characterisation. We’ll update this piece with our own tasting notes if we get a pour in hand.

Price and availability

Dark Lark No.166 is sold direct from larkdistillery.com at AUD $150 for a 700ml bottle. LARK ships internationally via DHL Express to New Zealand, Hong Kong, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, France, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, Belgium, Greece, the Netherlands and the UK. International orders clear in 1–3 business days before dispatch, and buyers are responsible for any customs duties on arrival.

Is it worth it?

At AUD $150 (roughly £75-80 / €90), Dark Lark No.166 sits at LARK’s mid-tier Signature pricing, above the Classic Cask but below the rare single-cask Wilderness releases. If you like your whisky sweet, fruit-forward and unashamedly dessert-like, and you’ve enjoyed previous Dark Lark editions or LARK’s fortified-cask style generally, this is squarely for you. If you’re after peat or a drier, more traditionally Scotch-leaning profile, LARK’s Tasmanian Peated expression is the better call. We’d treat this as a genuine buy for fans of the house style, with the caveat that we haven’t tasted this specific batch yet.

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FAQ

What is Dark Lark No.166 Special Edition?
Dark Lark No.166 is LARK Distillery’s 2026 annual Signature special edition, a 43% ABV Tasmanian single malt matured in fortified wine casks. It’s the latest in LARK’s yearly Dark Lark series, following the Gold medal-winning Dark Lark 2025.

What does Dark Lark No.166 taste like?
According to LARK, the nose brings lemon shortbread, wild strawberry, blackcurrant jam and orchid blossom. The palate moves through berry custard, espresso gelato, dark chocolate-covered cherries and sticky figs, finishing on peach crumble, almond meringue, marzipan and honey.

How much does Dark Lark No.166 cost?
Dark Lark No.166 costs AUD $150 for a 700ml bottle, sold direct through larkdistillery.com. That converts to roughly £75-80 or €90, though international pricing will vary with shipping and customs.

Where can I buy Dark Lark No.166?
It’s available direct from larkdistillery.com, which ships internationally to 16 countries including the UK, Germany, France and Sweden via DHL Express.

Is Dark Lark No.166 cask strength?
No. Dark Lark No.166 is bottled at 43% ABV, a standard strength release rather than a cask strength bottling.

What is LARK Distillery known for?
LARK is Tasmania’s founding whisky distillery, established in 1992 by Bill and Lyn Lark. It’s known for maturing single malt in Australian fortified wine casks rather than bourbon or sherry casks, giving its whiskies a richer, sweeter house style, alongside a lightly peated core range using Tasmanian peat.