Hellyers Road Distillery Aurora Australis Whisky

Previously only available in Europe, Aurora Australis is now available to Australian consumers. As Hellyers Road's most affordable single malt whisky, coming in at just under $100 and bottled at an approachable 40%, it's the gateway into their more premium and higher abv products. Its pale colour suggests a higher proportion of bourbon casks than many of Hellyers other releases, but there's still plenty of juicy fortified wine on the nose. Light, bright, and youthful, plenty of aggressive spirit jumping out of the glass. The character of excellent Tasmanian malted barley is immediately present, but despite the big nose, the palate is a touch watery at 40%, while still hot on the finish. Lots of nice characters and complexity, but it is buried under its youth and aggressive spirit.