Hellyers Road Roaring 40 Australian Whisky Review

By Emma Briones

Rating: B

Inspired by the story of explorer and cartographer Henry Hellyer, a group of dairy farmers founded a whisky distillery in the northwest of Tasmania. Eighteen years later, Hellyers Road is a best-selling, locally crafted Australian whisky, exported over to 20 countries.

The first expression of their range is Hellyers Road Original Roaring Forty, which is a new version of their expression Hellyers Road Original. This single malt draws its name from the Tasmanian wind, which often blows at 40km per hour.

Hellyers Road Original Roaring Forty is made by using local malted barley, and is aged in ex-bourbon barrels. It is non-chill-filtered and it has been bottled at 40% ABV (80 proof).

The Whisky
This Tasmanian single malt is pale gold in the glass with medium tears. It starts sweet and light on the nose, with some butterscotch and vanilla notes. The aromas are followed by strong fresh hints of pears in syrup and a gentle touch of citrus zest. After aerifying a little the whisky, we can also find oak notes and some hints of spices like nutmeg.

On the palate, it is mellow and fresh, with a medium body. There are some sweet notes (vanilla, toffee and little hints of honey), that will be followed by a strong splash of pears. It continues with a gentle touch of citrus zest, that is well-balanced with some soft oak notes. Towards the finish, it becomes spicier with little hints of toasted almonds. The finish is short and rather weak.

Hellyers Road Original Roaring Forty is a soft and mellow whisky, that is more complex than what you expect. The bourbon casks have clearly influenced its nose and palate, but the pears notes become the highlight of the dram. It is reminiscent of Irish whiskeys, thanks to its smoothness and complexity, making for a really nice and well-balanced whisky.

The Price
In the UK it’s retailed around £52, with prices in the rest of Europe going from €42 to €56 depending on the country. In Australia is around A$65.