Old Kempton Distillery — Attraction in Kempton

Firstly, I am an old kempton whisky fan, and in fact a lover of most Tasmanian whisky! I have visited most distilleries around Tasmania but had never visited old kempton so I decided to call in on Sunday on the way back from Oatlands at Callington mill, Boy what a contrast!… Firstly had to wait for 10 minutes before I got asked from across the room “Does anyone need help” at the time I was looking at the selection as I was keen to get the recent Christmas release into my collection, but firstly decided to try it amongst a flight first, the service was unengaging and incredibly uninviting. The room we were directed to was disgusting! All the tables were not cleaned and covered in plates cups empty coke cans, it felt like you didn’t want to touch anything let alone sit down! After we finished the flight they came and cleaned the tables around us but didn’t even acknowledge or ask about the experience. We decided to leave and checkout the Christmas cask and the cool driving hat on display on the way out as I wanted to take them home with me but again… after 6 or 7 minutes no staff anywhere! So we left….. out of all the distilleries I have visited by far the worst experience and this may have been an off day however Old kempton whiskey is still something I’ll drink and worthy of 5 stars I just wouldn’t recommend visiting the cellar door as my experience was 0 stars, The building is Beautiful and worth seeing however once you enter it the poor quality service from a distinguished cellar definitely tars it, Who ever is running the show seriously needs to take a look at the way they present themselves! Disappointing is an...

We arrived a little early and had a coffee whilst soaking up the atmosphere of the mid 19th century Dysart House, where distillery is located. The tour commenced with a brief history of the house and then a visit to the distilling centre and warehouse, where the process of both whisky and gin distilling was explained. We were then taken back into Dysart house and waited in a magnificent parlour full of Chesterfield couches. Shortly after, our hosts Colby and Angus, arrived with a sampling paddle of whisky for me and gin for my wife. Colby walked us through the specifics of all eight samples, skilfully answering the questions we had. This was quickly followed by a tasting platter arriving for me and a roasted pumpkin salad (the vegetarian option) for my wife. We sat for the next hour in this beautiful room, enjoying high end spirits with appropriately matching local food. Staff was knowledgable, friendly and competent. I couldn't think of anything better, we even stayed for another coffee afterwards and relaxed in the splendour of our surroundings. It is worth noting that it was a cold, dreary day and we chose to be inside, but there is a beautiful sun-trap courtyard outside which would be a great option on a sunny day. TIP: we caught the 702 bus from Hobart to Kempton and the distillery is a pleasant few minutes walk from drop-off. Bus tickets were purchased online from Redline Coaches and the service was excellent...no...

A classic example of potential wasted. Stunning old building, apparently award-winning spirits. Utterly ruined by lacklustre service and appalling food. We had the beef and whisky pie - which was an utter lie - it was a frozen mass-produced poor excuse for a pie that had never even smelled a hint of whisky or hand-made love. The tiny industrial pie, a few sad soggy chips with zero seasoning, some baby spinach with no oil or vinegar, and that was our lunch. We ate it because we came hungry. The pie repeated on me for hours afterwards. Opportunity completely wasted for the owners - they could be coming around to tables, asking if we wanted to try their award winning spirits (particularly the whisky). If you can't be bothered to cook decent food then stick to the antipasto and cheese platters we saw going to other tables - they weren't the most wow cheese platters I've ever seen but they were light years ahead of our pies. My chai latte was so weak I honestly thought at one point I was just drinking warm milk. Not once did anyone come to ask us how anything was, or encourage us to try anything or order dessert or more drinks etc. Even the parking is a mess - you have to park in an unkempt lot next to the property and there isn't even a pathway to walk on, so you're walking through rocks and dirt and weeds. It has such potential and just falls flat and we were really disappointed after driving two hours one-way...