Starward is an Australian malt barley whisky that has been inching its manner into the U.S. markets over the previous a number of years. (We reviewed a few their releases in 2019 and 2020.) Hailing from foodie-centric Melbourne, Starward sources the grains and provides from native farms and retailers, together with the wine barrels used for growing old from native vineyards. The most recent expression is the inaugural American launch from the brand new Starward Tasks sequence. The one malt is aged in barrels from the Yalumba Vineyard’s luxe The Octavius Shiraz, with no age assertion supplied.
Let’s take a peek.
The nostril is bursting with plum compote and smoked cloves. It’s distinctively candy and spicy, with a barely peaty undertone. On the palate, leathery dry cinnamon sticks are accented by inexperienced apple, nut shells, and cocoa. The bitter, nutty chew lingers longest within the end, with barely unripened cherries clinging to to the tongue because the faintly candy fruit be aware balances out the profile. This expression tends to lean in the direction of bitter and spicy components, however it has a dense, fruity character that methods the thoughts into pondering it’s sweeter than it’s, tempering a number of the edginess. The whiskey maintains the sharpness and earthiness of a standard Scotch, whereas these darkish, fruity notes function a complementary layer.
As an introduction to the Starward Tasks, the Octave Barrels actually leaves one piqued to see what they provide you with subsequent.
96 proof.
B+ / $80 (700 ml) / starward.com