Hellyers Road Distillery The Iberian Whisky

This is a marriage of whiskies fully matured in Spanish oloroso sherry casks and 50-plus-year-old Australian port casks. This whisky is that chocolate-red colour that makes you salivate even before you've had a smell, but like most Hellyers releases, the fact that they've used full-sized casks means the freshness of good Tassie barley isn't overpowered by fortified wine, even at 9 years old. There's a typical Hellyers note of menthol and bright almond extract, along with some intricate wine and oak notes. It reminds me of a delicate French pastry soaked in brandy - generous and complex. Fresh maraschino liqueur dominates the easygoing palate, and this would only make a fantastic dram after a big bowl of pasta. Not at all your grandpa's sherried whisky.