Continuing to work my way through my #101drams list, at the Tasmanian Whisky Expo recently I was lucky enough to try Hellyer's Road Pinot Noir Finish single malt. Hellyer's Road was actually the first whisky I tasted for this blog (see post) and it was great to re-visit it, especially in Pinot-finished form (being a big fan of Pinot Noir).
Hellyers Road Pinot Noir FInish (46.2% ABV, 700mL, $80AUD)
Nose: There's that signature Aussie whisky nose. A tad biscuity, a tad coconut-y...rich but not overpowering.
Palate: Big mouthfeel, sweet...but not like a sherried Speyside. Unqiue. The Pinot casks (I'm curious as to where they came from) really give it a unique, slightly berried character, and the ABV again feels spot on (I find some whiskies at 40% could be so much better at around 45%. At 46%, this is perfect).
Finish: Similar to the "Original" - not overly long, and with a touch more sweetness. Enjoyable to the very end.
Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 92/100
Cheers,
- Martin.
Hong Kong and Australian-based whisky / whiskey blog - tastings, events, new releases, and anything else whisky or whiskey related - casual and dram good fun.
Having just visited the distilery this afternoon and having the same question as Martin, I can pass on what I was told, and that is that they source their pinot barrels from Tamar Ridge.
ReplyDeleteAlso, all their white oak barrels are ex US bourbon cooperage (nothing strange there) and all their peat is sent over from scotland (not enough local stuff to go around/most is located within heritage listed areas)
Thanks for the info! Much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteI must admit to liking the Pinot finish a lot more than the original. It seems to take the drop to another level. possibly my current favourite - without trying the 12 year old yet, of course!
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