Hellyers Road Distillery

A quick overview of the distillery

Hellyers Road Distillery is located in North West Tasmania and is a single-site distillery that has been operating continuously since the late 1990s. The focus is on Tasmanian single malt whisky with a clear maritime influence, but also on a distinctive whisky cream range. It’s a place where American oak, tawny-fade, pinot noir barriques, and smoked Scottish barley meet in a range that combines fruit, spice, and a salty edge.

History

The story begins in 1957, when a few local farmers in remote North West Tasmania formed a dairy cooperative. That legacy lives on in the house’s whisky cream range. In 1997, they built Hellyers Road Distillery, which has since been in continuous operation and is described as Australia’s oldest operating whisky distillery. This gives the distillery an unusual double identity: on the one hand, a modern Tasmanian single malt distillery, and on the other, a place with deep roots in local dairy production. Today it’s highlighted as one of Australia’s most award-winning whisky producers and as an icon of Tasmania’s north-west coast.

Raw materials and production

The production is built around Tasmanian single malt whisky, but with several clear traces of imported raw material and specific maturation choices. In the peated expression, peated barley is used, listed as sourced from Inverness in Scotland and from Baird’s in Scotland. The peated whisky is fully matured in first-fill American oak ex-bourbon casks, and the mature classic style is echoed across several whiskies, where American oak is the driving first step. Double Cask starts in ex-bourbon barrels and then undergoes secondary maturation in Tasmanian pinot noir barriques, while The Journeyman first rests in American oak ex-Bourbon barrels and later receives extended maturation in fine old Australian Tawny casks. The whisky cream series is based on Tasmanian whisky blended with fresh cream, and it’s clear that the distillery also works with products where whisky’s role is to add structure, warmth, and depth to another category.

Maturation and cask types

Hellyers Road uses American oak especially as the basis for maturation—particularly ex-bourbon casks and first-fill ex-bourbon casks. This provides a clear framework for the whisky’s fruit, vanilla, and spice. On top of that base, the distillery works with two distinct secondary influences: fine old tawny barrels and Tasmanian pinot noir barriques. The tawny casks give The Journeyman extra depth, while the pinot noir barriques give Double Cask a clear local signature and a red-fruit dimension. In the peated expression, the process is kept simple: full maturation in first-fill American oak, leaving more room for smoke and maritime freshness.

Whiskies

The core range includes several clearly distinct expressions. Aurora Australis represents the lighter, more dessert-like side with custard, brioche, and stone fruit. Double Cask is the house’s more fruit- and spice-driven whisky with bourbon barrels and pinot noir barriques. Peated 7 Year Old marks the peated direction with sea air, brine, and peat. The Journeyman 8 Year Old moves in a darker, more spiced direction with tawny finish and mature fruit. In addition, Oloroso de Jerez 10 Year Old is mentioned as Australia’s oldest fully matured sherry cask whisky in the shown introductory pack, underlining that the range also includes sherry-influenced expressions.

The style and flavor profile of the whiskies

Hellyers Road’s whisky profile ranges from crème brûlée, warm brioche, and vanilla custard to candied orange, stewed sultanas, and cinnamon spice. At the other end lies the maritime, peated style with sweet tea, brine, sea salt, oyster shell, and fresh peat. At the same time, ginger snaps, baking spice, dark chocolate, medjool dates, and oak tannins show up in the more mature releases, while Double Cask leans toward raisin toast, stewed fruits, and clove. This creates a house where sweetness, spice, fruit, and salty mineral character constantly balance one another.

Visit the distillery

The distillery is open to visitors through a Visitor Centre and a Cellar Door, and whisky tours, tastings, and booking of Distillers’ Choice are offered. The visit page highlights the place as a must-visit on Tasmania’s north-west coast, and you can also shop online. For visitors, it’s therefore a real day-trip destination offering both tastings and guided whisky experiences, rather than just a shop.
See opening times and book a visit.

Philosophy and craftsmanship

Hellyers Road works with a clear local anchoring in North West Tasmania and a distinct focus on the site’s maritime climate. At the same time, the Journeyman program is an expression of an open working approach, where whisky makers and specialists from around the world come to the distillery for six-month stretches to live and work on site. It builds on the idea of honest exchange of ideas, methods, and perspectives and on a whisky made with open minds and good hands.

Awards and recognition

• Gold Medal (2024, Gold, Peated 7 Year Old Tasmanian Single Malt Whisky)

• Gold Medal (2024, Gold, Peated 7 Year Old Tasmanian Single Malt Whisky)

• World's Best Whisky Cream (2024, World's Best Whisky Cream, Whisky Cream Liqueur - Original)

• Australia's Cream Winner (2026, Australia's Cream Winner, Whisky Cream Liqueur - Salted Caramel)

• Australia's Cream Winner (2025, Australia's Cream Winner, Whisky Cream Liqueur - Salted Caramel)

• Most Gaining in Popularity (2022, Most Gaining in Popularity, Whisky Cream Liqueur - Original)