Hellyers Road Original 46.2 abv

[Johnny Murgatroyd]

Hard on the heels of Ralfy's first Aussie whisky review, here is my reaction to the Hellyer's Road Original (unpeated, that is) which I just bought today!

Glass:
Glencairn

Water:
2mL

Nose:
The moment you smell this, you think: THIS IS NOT SCOTLAND. It is also not very similar to the other Aussie whisky I've tried, Bakery Hill.

No icing sugar and marshmallows here! Just.....my first reaction was cheap perfume, air freshener, and a dollop of vomit. Not entirely pleasant. But sniff longer and you can see why Ralfy likes it. A foresty-sap smell like Ralfy says, mingled with bits of mint, clove, nougat. The perfume-vomit coalition dies down to a sort of intriguing hoppy smell - does this whisky have hops in it? Beery and slighly winey.

Taste:
The driest whisky I've ever tried. A flash of dryness in the centre of the tongue; bitter, crisp, refreshing. Very reminiscent of a dry Aussie white wine, maybe Semillon. Much less vomit or perfume, just cool, spirity dryness and vague bitter notes. Yeast? Hops? Rosemary?

Finish:
Spices - maybe ginger and white pepper, and a cool mintiness.

The nose doesn't impress me overly much. Woof! But it is unusual and definitely not Scotch. The dry tongue is phenomenally different from any whisky I've tasted. Nice experience. If this be a whisky, then it's from another world altogether.

[Nick Brown]

I agree with Johnny Murgatroyd - this most definitely isn't Scotch. The nose is actually quite pungent in a smelly sock kind of way but if you can get past that, you have some OK whisky.

N: smelly socks, initially, foot odour and sweat, some kind of sour and bitter notes, perhaps green apples too, spotted dick, dusty books, wet cardboard, pencil shavings (Calliope found cotoneaster just after the bark has been peeled off) - with time, the off notes disappear and leave something sweeter and fruity

T: slightly lactic, yeasty, dough, some bitter wood and green grass, not nearly as hot as some Australian whiskies

F: sweet finish, grapes, even melon, becomes waxy and sappy

I agree with Johnny's notes of sap and yeast - not sure I get the hops though. If you wait for the off notes to go it is actually quite pleasant but not very memorable.

[Pudge72]

Thank you for the reviews guys!

This one has been sitting (almost literally, as I have been keeping tabs on the inventory from time to time and the total number of bottles is barely moving) at the LCBO here in Ontario at $100 / bottle for the better part of 2012, iirc. I had been curious about this one as it would be neat to add an Australian bottle to the cabinet (this is the only one available at the LCBO at the moment). Based on both reviews however, I will be looking to spend $100 elsewhere.

[portwood]

I had been curious about this one as it would be neat to add an Australian bottle to the cabinet (this is the only one available at the LCBO at the moment). Based on both reviews however, I will be looking to spend $100 elsewhere.

Keep your money pudge. I tried it a couple of months ago and, to be kind, I wouldn't pay $40 for it.
In addition to the two reviews above, I found it to be very "spirity".

[Pudge72]

I had been curious about this one as it would be neat to add an Australian bottle to the cabinet (this is the only one available at the LCBO at the moment). Based on both reviews however, I will be looking to spend $100 elsewhere.

Keep your money pudge. I tried it a couple of months ago and, to be kind, I wouldn't pay $40 for it.
In addition to the two reviews above, I found it to be very "spirity".

Thanks for the additional feedback, 'portwood'...it's already scratched off the 'priority' wishlist of limited stock items at the LCBO.