Hellyers Road 7 yo Sherry Casks Matured

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 46.2% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

This single malt spends its entire seven-year maturation in sherry casks: Hellyers Road uses Spanish casks that previously held Oloroso sherry. This is full sherry-cask maturation rather than simply a final finishing period. The bottling launched the Tasmanian distillery’s Sherry Cask Series.

Its character combines dried-fruit sweetness with dark chocolate and a spicy citrus note. A smooth, oily texture allows these impressions to unfold, while chilli and cloves add subtle accents. The whisky is bottled at 46.2% without chill filtration or added colouring. The 0.7-litre bottle comes in gift packaging.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: Sweet tobacco and raisins come together on the nose.
• Palate: The palate reveals dark chocolate and citrus fruit with a spicy note. Vanilla and dried fruit add to the sweetness; subtle hints of chilli and cloves accompany the smooth, oily texture.
• Finish: The long finish is warming and recalls spiced baked goods with dried fruit.

Distillery/Bottler:

Hellyers Road is located in Havenview near Burnie in north-western Tasmania. The distillery was established in 1997 by a community of dairy farmers who wanted to expand their business into whisky production. Their experience in dairy processing contributed to the development of unusual pot stills. The tall, cylindrical stills encourage reflux: some of the rising vapour condenses and returns to the still before evaporating again.

The distillery ferments its wort for an average of around 50 hours and uses cooling to keep the temperature at no more than 32 °C. This longer fermentation helps break down sulphur compounds. Both distillation runs are also slow, and the spirit cuts are determined through sensory assessment. Copper tubes in the condensers provide additional intensive copper contact. Hellyers Road uses warehouses in the surrounding area for maturation, some near Bass Strait. The consistently cool, humid coastal climate provides the conditions for cask ageing there.

Facts: