Hellyers Road Journey to Doppelbock: Dark Harmony is a limited-release Tasmanian single malt whisky finished in beer casks — a collaboration between Hellyers Road Distillery (Burnie, Tasmania) and a craft brewery, using barrels that previously held Doppelbock dark lager. It was released in 2024 as a capped seasonal expression and is not part of Hellyers Road's ongoing core range.

The whisky begins as Hellyers Road's single malt spirit, matured in charred American oak ex-bourbon casks. It is then transferred into European oak barrels freshly emptied of Doppelbock dark lager, where it takes on the beer's roasted, malt-forward character before bottling. The result is hand-bottled, non-chill-filtered, at 48.2% ABV, with natural colour.

Hellyers Road Journey to Doppelbock Dark Harmony Limited 2024 Tasting Notes

Nose: Roasted coffee, dark molasses, vanilla cream, toasted malted biscuit, dark cocoa.

Palate: Full-bodied and silky. Caramelised brown sugar, milk chocolate, baked stone fruit, hazelnut praline.

Finish: Long and warming. Sweet cereal grain, soft oak tannin, a closing note of dark ale.

Why Choose Hellyers Road Journey to Doppelbock Dark Harmony Limited 2024?

Most single malt whiskies finish in wine or bourbon casks. Doppelbock beer-cask finishing is uncommon in Australian whisky, and this batch was produced once, from a single collaboration between Hellyers Road and the brewery — it will not be replicated with the same casks or beer. Collectors of Tasmanian whisky and beer-cask-finished expressions typically seek this release for that reason: the flavour profile is a product of a specific, non-repeatable process rather than a house style.