Friday 9 February 2024

Hellyers Road 2016 Peated New Vibrations 6 yo c. 16322.02

 
 
 
67,7°
Distillery : Hellyers Road - Australia
American Oak Cask 
Original Bottling 
Limited Edition 
Single Cask 
Bottled in 2023
Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength
Slightly Peated
 
 
 
The twin brother of its predecessor, cask 16315.10, it is similar in every way except for the cask number. Same age, same maturation, same provenance. It's obviously very interesting to see what separates them. Hellyers Road is a distillery that started production in 1999 on the island of Tasmania. They produce very little, so there are not many of the same casks. The two bottlings were picked up by La Maison du Whisky for exclusive distribution in France under the New Vibrations label. It is not known how many bottles were produced.
 
 
 

Let's Taste It : 
This one is more mineral, more peaty, with ashy smoke, robust iodine, but also the distillery's typical cereal and earth profile with a few vegetal touches. It's sandy, almost greedy on the whole. The palate is chocolatey with pulpy fruits, white plums, mirabelles, bananas, melon and fine spices, leading to a sumptuous finish, very powerful, long, nutmeg, ginger, pepper, cinnamon, earthy notes, chestnut, nougat and coffee. Dried meat, oil, kelp. Pinch of salt.
 
In Short, 
More powerful, more mineral and more peaty than its twin brother, but less nuanced and less balanced, so I prefer the former. On the other hand, the big common point is the devastating finish, a veritable tidal wave, which I found hard to recover from. All in all, two really impressive and well-made products. Unfortunately, the price is a bit daunting.
Score : 89
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                          To Be Listened While Sipping :
 
                                           Solstafir - Fjara

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