Hellyers Road Distillery Peated 7 Year Old Single Malt Whisky
The new flagship peated release from Hellyers is proudly seven years old, and I applaud them for being up-front about the age where many Aussie producers would be scared to put a single-digit number on the label. The fact is, seven years in Australia is a very long time to mature a whisky, well above industry standard, so they're right to celebrate the fact out loud. At just $149 a bottle, this competes directly with all but the cheapest Scottish imports. It holds its own, with restrained smoke and buttery, salted shortbread on the nose, woolshed in the summer woodiness and underripe orchard fruits. Very easy drinking with incredibly well-controlled alcohol and an easy, light finish. A fantastic example of how a Scottish style can be interpreted through an Australian lens.
