whisky review 231 - Hellyer's Road (peated) Tasmanian Malt

[ozstriker1984]

Hi Ralfy, just wondering if you have tried Glenglassaugh, although it cant be called whisky because it is straight off the still, i recently read that in the early days of whisky that alot of it would have been drunk like this, i find this intriguing, are there any other 'whiskys' (or clearic if thats the more technical term) out there like this?

[ralfystuff]

@ozstriker1984

I have, it's one of the best along with Bladnoch and Old Pulteney ! (you can get Bladnoch cleric at the Distillery)

[tomobrien91]

From an Aussie Ralfy it was great watching this review! I am definitely going to be keeping my eye out for this whisky in the shops (thanks to our Government all our Aussie whiskys are around $150+ a bottle). Lovely to see that even people outside of Aus understand how much our wine industry is supported in comparison to others. Its very frustrating and unfair :(

Ps. Any more cigar reviews on the way mate? ;)

[MrWhingeypants]

@tomobrien91 $150+ really? surely you jest. I can grab a nice bottle of laphroaig quarter cask for under $100...

[tomobrien91]

@MrWhingeypants No im talking about the Australian whisky that ralfys reviewing here.

[MrWhingeypants]

@tomobrien91 bought a bottle of sullivan's cove for around about $80

[ozstriker1984]

@MrWhingeypants how did you find the sullivans cove, saw it at dan murphys today, but was scared off by the price considering aussie whisky isnt very well known

[doncarroloco]

Ralfy,I'm big fan of your insightful and knowledgeable reviews. Bartenders always tell me " you're too young for this stuff " but I just love trying a new whiskey every time I spot something new on the shelf. Keep up with the great reviews. Best of luck from Canada.

[ralfystuff]

@doncarroloco

thanks dude.

[gregorskiff]

Well hello to our Magistrate of Maltoriferous Mayhem.

My first taste of scotch 30 years ago, an inexpensive bottle of haig & haig, i was not in love with scotch.

the second was Dewars white label, it was just ok.

the third try 20 years ago was Glenlivet 12, just enjoyable.

30 days ago i discovered Lagavulin 16, i could not keep my nose out of the glass!.

I now have my nose nearly submerged in Talisker 10, i like the Lagavulin a bit more though.

What malt should i seek out next?, i am in the USA

[ralfystuff]

@gregorskiff

Caol Ila 12yo and Highland Park 12yo

[ShuanMerfy]

The peated Hellyer's Road whisky is made from 100% Scottish grown and Scottish peated barley. All imported. Not much 'Australia' in there. The unpeated Hellyer's road is made from the local Gairdner or Franklin barley varieties.

[uzx151]

@ShuanMerfy Incorrect. The peated material was produced separately to the unpeated, and I can absolutely assert that this is NOT produced from 100% peated barley. It's a vatting. The 100% peated stuff would blow your head off.

[ShuanMerfy]

@uzx151 Vatting or not, the peated barley is not Australian. Not Australian barley, not Australian peat. That is my point. I don't think it deserves to be called a 'Tasmanian Malt' for that reason. 100% peated whisky is very common and easily drinkable. I can go to the local home home brew shop and buy imported scottish peated barley. This is all that Hellyers Road has achieved here.

[uzx151]

@ShuanMerfy Try the whisky! The peated barley makes up a very small portion of what's actually in the bottle by comparison. Also, you're off your tree if you think the homebrew peated stuff is anything like what's used in a distillery.

[ShuanMerfy]

@uzx151 I have tried it. Stop arguing with semantics, and just admit that the peated barley is imported from Scotland. Therefore it is grown in Scotland and peated with Scottish peat. This is therefore not Tasmanian, or Australian. Tell your boss to stop selling lies. Too much time and effort spent on marketing instead of focussing on the product. It is basically a poorly produced imitation Scotch, instead of something wholly and uniquely Australian. Lark use Tasmanian peat for example.

[uzx151]

@ShuanMerfy It's matured in Australia, so there's the Australian climatic influence, produced from water harvested near Cape Grim - the purest on earth, it's distilled in a one of a kind distillery - predominantly stainless steel, Australian yeast, at least 75% Australian grain in there.. etc etc etc.

[ShuanMerfy]

@uzx151 The influence of water is over-rated in my opinion due to the filtering / sterilisation / reverse osmosis processes. Hellyers Road should use Australian peat, creating something more uniquely Australian as well as supporting local jobs. Other than Lark, I know that David at Bakery Hill started out using peated malt imported from UK, and then switched to Australian peat. I guess they might be more passionate than some dairy farmers trying to increase their portfolio.

[uzx151]

@ShuanMerfy You're a narrow minded twit.

1. You're a youtube random. I've heard about water influence from marketing freaks to distilling geniuses and a plethora of opinions from those in between. If it makes such little difference, why are the Scottish so precious about their sources? Additionally, not all undertake RO.

2. A small portion of it isn't Australian, correct. The rest is. Deal with it.

3. They've not spent a cent on marketing. Besides the packaging.

[ShuanMerfy]

@uzx151 You are the youtube random, obviously under the employ of Hellyers Road. You have resorted to name-calling because you do not possess a strong argument. You cannot prevent critical thinking. In fact, I am enjoying you squirm. And I have dealt with it, by highlighting the fact that the peated malt is not Australian, whenever it comes up. And you are wrong, Hellyers Road obviously have invested in marketing, for example rebranding their standard bottling as 'Southern Fire' ; etc.

[ralfystuff]

@ShuanMerfy

peace and love guys !

[uzx151]

@ShuanMerfy

4. There's not a single Australian malting that will peat in a traditional sense. You're the first I've heard about David using Australian peat, and frankly, I don't believe you. Additionally, nowhere near 100% of Lark's material is peated (yet.) There are some releases to come from Lark that are 100% peated - whether or not they're released as Lark remains to be seen however. Regardless, Lark's isn't peated in a traditional sense. Post malting is fundamentally different.

[uzx151]

@ShuanMerfy Where's Amrut Fusion from?

[uzx151]

@ShuanMerfy Also, you should take in to consideration the 2.5m tonnes of Malting barley Australia produces a year, and the lazy 65% of which is imported. If you're questioning provenance, I hope you don't spend to much on Scottish whisky!

[ShuanMerfy]

@uzx151 Reputable malt whisky distillers try to source grain from their local region, adding to the single malt's uniqueness. Theres more than enough Australian malt to support the Australian Whisky industry eg Joe White Maltings, etc. Try supporting local producers. And just take the criticism that the peated malt in the peated Hellyers Road is sourced from the UK. No need to be so defensive, even if they are the ones paying you down in Burnie.

[ralfystuff]

@uzx151

peace and love guys !

[ShuanMerfy]

@uzx151 The information I was referring to is under the 'The Distillery' link on the Bakery Hill website. I agree post-malting is a different process; however it is irrelevant as I was criticising the fact that the malt and peat contribution to the Whisky is not sourced from Australia, unlike other Australian whiskies. You should accept this criticism.

[ShuanMerfy]

@uzx151 Seriously uzx151, I am the open-minded person in our discussion, you seem quite stubborn. You should know more about the product and industry you are involved in, and either take the criticism, or ignore it, instead of making a fool of yourself with numerous defensive replies. The peated malt is from the UK, and not from Tasmania. End of discussion.

[sundahljo]

Silly question: when you taste (for example) pepper or vanilla in a whiskey, does that mean that pepper or vanilla was used in making the whiskey? Thanks for all the reviews, and especially for the general malty thoughts.

[ralfystuff]

@sundahljo

all flavours come from distilled malted barley only, matured in oak. Chemical activity during maturation cause flavours.

[preston1340]

Hey Ralfy, I noticed the mini oak barrel in the backround. Do you use it? Can you make a video on aging and blending whiskys in the barrel? Any good barrel vendors you can recommend? Thanks!

[ralfystuff]

@preston1340

that one is for show only as an internal seal is broken. try e-bay and google-shopping for where you are. Most Distillers are reluctant to sell !

[DawnAnn7]

Ralfy, where do some of the more obscure flavours such as ginger actually come from? Are they absorbed from the environment? I understand that a lot is absorbed from the keg and the surroundings as the whiskey ages, but are there any other reasons why something like ginger would show up? I am a new taster and am trying to understand all the flavours I'm getting! :)

[ralfystuff]

@DawnAnn7

all flavours come from maturation chemistry between cask and spirit.

[Dotsirammi]

Great! 5 drinks from Findland;)

[Wayfarer8]

Hello, Ralfy, will You review a Ballantine's Christmas Reserve in your following reviews?

[wesleytaylorviadomus]

thanks for telling me ralfy. I am fighting tooth and nail to get the royal salute 21 from a friend of mine. If I taste it soon, I will tell you everything about it.

[musicmixism]

ok, then i will defenetly go for the Springbank, thanks Ralfy

[musicmixism]

thank you Ralfy. And what about the Hazelburn 8y Sauternes from Cadenhead's? Is it a nice Christmas Whisky?

[ralfystuff]

@musicmixism

yes it is, and the 15yo Springbank is better for Christmas.

[falcon048]

Hi Ralfy, I hear you say often that 'caramel' has been added to whiskeys. I have heard of this practice before, mostly to keep the appearance consistent from batch to batch. What I would like to know is how you can determine if it has been added?

[ralfystuff]

@falcon048

you can't do so for sure, it is really down to the integrity of the Distiller to be honest about it.

[dvdbloke]

Hi Ralfy. As always, I'm loving the vlogs! I was wondering if you had any hint/tips/info on finding out which distilleries provide the supermarkets their own labelled single malts? I'm curious to try a few, but was wondering which supermarkets would gain the greater results! Thanks in advance you malty muddy funster you! :)

[ralfystuff]

@dvdbloke

no idea on this one so best to e-mail the Supermarkets direct.

[rikstr77]

About time an Aussie whiskie made it on here. nice work Ralfy

[ambarta]

Read my mind Ralfy.. of all the Tassie whiskies why Hellyer's!?

You have convinced me to give it another go, my last Hellyer's tasting was of strong rubber (sulphur). something I find in quite a few Aussie whiskies, trying to stretch the barrels and over charring perhaps.

There is one Aussie whisky you just HAVE to look at, Smiths Angaston. This whisky is one of the best whiskies I have tried from anywhere in the world. Created by bored wine makers who had an old brandy still in a shed!

[crthebigo]

@ambarta Maybe because it was the only Aus whisky he could get in Scotland at a reasonable price. E.g. Lark is about £100 a bottle over there ($160AUD), whereas the Hellyer's is only £55 ($85AUD). As an independent reviewer he has to pay for all the whisky himself and for those dollars he could get some amazing whisky in Scotland.

But I agree with you about the Smith's Angaston though, I have the 8yo and 10yo - excellent stuff! Would be very hard for ralfy to get a hold of this though?

[chrish12345]

@crthebigo I thought he uses complex mail delivery systems, plus he doesn't have to pay now he's got ads up, and don't forget Scotch is now becoming a rip off - its good to look further afield, I recommend the French whisky

[bjoern54]

Hello malt mascot - I realize that this may be sort of off-topic (at least in relation to this particular whisky), but I'm hoping anything whisky-related goes :)

Do you have any special preferences as regards specialty bottlers and do you have some pointers in that respect? I myself have tried a couple of whiskies from Signatory Vintage's cask strength series and I profoundly enjoyed these encounters...

"Slainte" from Denmark - Bjørn

[ralfystuff]

@bjoern54

check out MaltManiacs, Whiskyfun and WhiskyBase for reviews, they give a good picture.

[MikkoDriver84]

Ralfy, I'm very curious about your comments early on in the video about the bottle vs the whisky inside. Coming from more of a beer background, I've always been told that light plays an important factor in freshness and quality. Is there any weight to that statement when speaking of whisky?

[ralfystuff]

@MikkoDriver84

to a certain extent, but not too important unless over the long term.

[MiesYksi]

How about a little bit different review someday on this new non alcoholic "whisky" Arkay? I'm pretty sure it's not very much tasting like whisky, but why not check out how close they have made it? Google arkay beverages. (and I am not trying to advertise them, just found out that beverage today :)

[ralfystuff]

@MiesYksi

... I doubt it.

[Merock25]

Ralfy spiders or fire ants, we have worse things to worry about like the Stinging Tree which has killed, also cant forget our snakes the most venomous in the world 1 bite is strong enough to kill 2 elephants

[LordGeorgeRodney]

@Merock25 so what happens if you tripped in the forest & landed face first in the leaves?

[Merock25]

@LordGeorgeRodney

first thing you would go blind from the spores, its a funny plant you cant even stand near it for an hour without getting a blood nose

[jlim2397]

And with regard to your comments on smoking malted barley with something local, I have often wondered about the possibility of gumnut-smoked malted barley. I wonder what that would taste like?

My only experience with Hellyers Road, btw, is the Pinot Noir finish, whose smell seemed to me strongly reminiscent of Australian rainforests. Nice!

[jlim2397]

Hey Ralfy

Hellyer's Road is (relatively) a cheap Aussie whisky inside Australia too. The price of Aussie whisky is a disgrace. Mostly it's the ruinous anti-distillation measures, probably originating in attempts to stop early convicts from distilling their own rum. You're right about the govt not supporting our whisky like our wine.

[uzx151]

@jlim2397 Australian made whiskies aren't taxed at any higher rate than an imported one. 

[rallying4me]

Great review Ralfy

Hellyers Road Single Malt Peated has been recognised as the nation's best at the Malt Whisky Society of Australia Awards for Excellence in 2011. Where they won the award against strong competition from a number of distilleries from around the country of Australia.

With your remarks & great comments about The Peated Whisky it will become the oyster with the pearl for whisky drinkers.

PN

[jlim2397]

Yessss! An Aussie Whisky at last!~

[Sonoftoenails93]

good beer and good seafood in Tasmania too =]

[musicmixism]

Ralfy, can you give me a idea what Whisky is excellent for the Christmas? I like it sweet and the taste of Christmas Cake with Cinnamon

Sorry about me english. :)

[jlim2397]

@musicmixism It happens that there is a very cheap whisky distilled in the Illawarra south of Sydney called "Stockman's Whisky". It's a bit rough, but it has a distinct christmas pudding + vanilla custard smell. I think it's a bit Christmassy.

If you mean Scotch whisky, Aberlour Abunadh has a christmassy feel :-)

[ralfystuff]

@musicmixism

Glenfarclas 15yo or Springbank 12yo

[steev5x5]

eye...the Aussi's are slightly Irish in nature too lol "wink wink say no more" nice review.

[snakesandarrows]

Hey Ralfy, how about an episode or even series on different types of casks, there notes, and whiskys that really show those flavors.

[ralfystuff]

@snakesandarrows

a good idea !

[wesleytaylorviadomus]

Hello Ralfy. I was wondering why you did not answer my comment questions? I know you have thousands if not millions of people to answer to. I know in one day, I did ask you more than several questions. But if you dont want to answer my questions anymore, just tell me so and I will not write to you anymore. Thanks.

[ralfystuff]

@wesleytaylorviadomus

very very busy with a whisky competition, cant get to all the requests ! nothing personal.

[TheBeebopper]

Of course the bottle matters - the Co-op bottle is much easier to drink from than any other bottle when you first crack the cap. No need to fiddle with any capsule either. It is also easier on the coat pocket.

Ralphy, is it still a legal requirement in UK that a bottle of alcoholic spirit is wrapped?

[ralfystuff]

@TheBeebopper

I don't think so !

[thebainer]

Great review Ralfy, and interesting idea re introducing some Australian flavours to the malt. A few of the craft breweries here have experimented with adding various native flavours (wattleseed, for example) to beers, with mixed results. Whisky might be a better avenue for such experiments! The craft beer industry here has really taken off in the last few years, having been building up for a couple of decades now, and with any luck the whisky industry will do the same.

[ltz15]

I really like your channel, your work, you accent :) Im really that I have found you here on youtube mate :) cheer's !

[stangg79]

Nice one ralfy.. good to see you picked up a few tid bits while visiting out this way. :)

[crthebigo]

Thanks for reviewing an Aussie whisky ralfy!

You may also be interested in another highly collectable Aussie whisky. The Smith's Angaston whisky from a South Australian winery called Yalumba. They sourced malt extract from one of our best breweries (Coopers) and fired up an old (1931) pot still for a once-off whisky run.

I have bottles Smith's Angaston 8yo and 10yo and think it's some of the best Aussie whisky made to date. If only I could share whisky with you through the internet... lol.

[ralfystuff]

@throttlejockey77

it is relatively expensive compared to local Spirits, but significantly cheaper than other Aussi Whiskies.

[busysignal2006]

Ralfy, I'm suprised to see various peated whiskeys from all over the world, which leads me to wonder if a good peated whiskey could come from here in Florida. Florida is mostly wetlands and before development, the Everglades spanned all of South Florida. There's a whole of peat here!! However to my knowledge there is only one distillery here in Florida, called Palm Ridge which makes a bourbon-style whiskey with a Floridian touch of orangewood and oak aging.

[ralfystuff]

@busysignal2006

Florida can I'm sure, make excellent Peated Whisky, and better peated rum !

[busysignal2006]

@ralfystuff Peated rum! Hmm now thats quite an idea.

[MrJoris0123]

Somehow this whisky doesnt attract me that much. I don't know why...

[ralfystuff]

@MrJoris0123

it's different and does not fit the stereotype !

[UnclePutte]

Interesting as always. Tasmanian, huh... good things come from the most unexpected of places.

[jungleboy500]

ralfy, small malt tip; the lights you are using are probably placed close to the camera, every time you look into the lens the lights reflect on your glasses.

If you put them in a slightly wider angle you will not have that effect :)

Otherwise, great that you are looking outside of your borders, already bought the Amrut Fusion based on your recommendation, seen several versions around stores here already, might become popular...

[MaltAnorak]

A fly! ... How Aussie! it may have come in the box haha

[Clutch28]

Hmmm...possible series of Aussie whiskies in 2012?

A lighter natured whisky from Australia. Sounds intriguing.

[ralfystuff]

@Clutch28

plenty room on-line for a comprehensive Australian Spirits Site.

[chrish12345]

Seems quite gentle compared to all those 'smack in the face' Aussie wines.