Award-winning distillery Hellyers Road, based in Tasmania’s Northwest, has unveiled new-look packaging, a milestone for the company as it moves in a more contemporary direction with refreshed bottles, labelling and packaging.
Inspired by the rugged coastline, ancient rainforests and tranquil rivers that surround Tasmania’s oldest whisky distillery, Hellyers Road is blessed with the cleanest air in the world, pristine produce and locals with an appreciation for quality – making it the perfect place to craft premium whisky.
Tycho Hugh, Customer Engagement & Marketing Manager at Hellyers Road, said the brand, which is proud of its local heritage, is excited to head in a new stylistic direction that makes use of artwork by local watercolour artist Roger Murphy.
The artwork featured across previous Hellyers Road packaging has now been updated, incorporating the key elements of Tasmanian artist Roger Murphy’s original painting with a more modern feel that respects the diverse and wild landscape of Northwest Tasmania.
“We’re proud of our brand and our heritage, but like any good whisky, we evolve with time. It’s important that our visual identity convey the mystery, depth and uniqueness of the inspiring landscape that we at Hellyers Road call home; wilderness like the Tarkine and the Bass Strait, both of which are wild, raw and at times even foreboding.
“It was important to show a figure making their own way through settings like these, that are formidable and untouched, as we seek to highlight the elements of exploration, discovery and fortitude in our visual narrative,” said Hugh.
The story of Hellyers Road began with an unlikely group of would-be distillers who were making a buck in the dairy business close to Burnie in the late 90s. Already accustomed to building, growing and creating local produce, these innovative farmers knew their environment was perfect for sourcing pure ingredients, making it an excellent place to build a distillery.
They named the distillery after Henry Hellyer, an explorer and iconic figure in Tasmania’s history. Brought over by the Van Diemen’s Land Company in 1827, his job was to survey the region. One of Hellyer’s original exploration roads winds its way straight through the distillery’s grounds. Hellyer’s characteristics of courage, curiosity, tenacity and resilience resonated with the newly formed group of brave and imaginative distillers.
The group’s vision was ahead of its time, and now, thanks to their tenacity and resilience, the Hellyers Road Distillery is the oldest in Tasmania. Their bond store houses casks with an unbroken line of provenance for every one of their releases dating back to 2001.
Like Henry Hellyer, the owners understood what it takes to build a legacy across generations. While they wish they’d put down more, Hellyers Road is one of the few distilleries on the island with genuine aged stock now able to offer 18-year-old (and older) Tasmanian whisky to fans worldwide.
Until recently, Hellyers Road flew underwater the radar, but that all changed when they won Best Australian Single Malt Whisky at the 2021 World Whisky Awards for their Henry’s Legacy Freestone Cove. The following year they won again, this time with the 15-Year-Old Slightly Peated American Oak Whisky. In fact, the brand has been winning awards since 2012.
A desire to showcase the whisky rather than the packaging motivated this brand identity update, letting the world know about the premium quality of the liquid inside. A stripped-back label design features more specifications about the whisky itself, emphasising the quality of Hellyers Road whisky. The bottle, too, is new, produced in France from high-quality non-chill filtered and non-coloured glass to showcase the beautiful colour of the amber liquid inside.
Stay up-to-date with the latest industry news with the Drinks Trade e-newsletter.
