Starward

Starward has combined malted barley and wheat to create Two-Fold, a marvellous whisky from Melbourne which has been allowed to mature entirely in Australian red wine casks. A big, fruit-forward dram that suits sipping over ice on a warm evening or even used in cocktails.

Nose: Plum, banana bread, caramelised dates and a hint of nutty malt.

Palate: Soft vanilla fudge, coffee and walnut cake, summer berries and stewed stone fruit.

Finish: Brown sugar, cinnamon and peppercorn.

A decadent single-malt whisky. Starward have taken inspiration from Tawny #1, and fully matured this spirit in both fresh and charred, Tawny fortified wine casks. To mix things up, they threw in some puncheon and hogshead barrels for fun, which allowed vibrant tropical flavours to come through. 

Vibrant and indulgent. Expect welcoming flavours of dried fruits, toasted oak and brown sugar. As warm and comforting as Nan?s fruit cake.

Irresistible to sip neat. Strong enough to stand in a cocktail. 

Colour: Burnt orange 
Aroma: Dried fruit/raisins, toasted oak, fig and dried orange.   
Palate: Initial sweetness on the front palate, rich dried fruits, brown sugar and nutmeg. 
Finish: Palate slowly dries from the spice leaving a well-balanced finish 

Batch #1 of a non-chill filtered single malt at a bold 50% ABV for intensity. Composed from Australian barley and craft brewers? yeast for extra flavour.

Starward age Fortis in 100% American Oak barrels to give a full, rich taste that enhances the toasty oak and vanilla characters of the whisky. Fortis also boasts juicy red wine characteristics thanks to barrels from mostly Barossa Valley wineries, which once held powerful shiraz and cabernets. Some barrels are charred for complexity, most are fresh, lending Fortis the intense red wine flavours that soaked into the barrel staves. They don?t chill filter this stronger release to closely represent the whisky that comes from the barrel.

A rich, full-bodied flavour balanced with the approachable velvety smoothness Starward whiskies are known for. Expect upfront notes of Madagascan vanilla pod and toasty oak. The palate is all chocolate ganache, cinnamon, quince and Muscadelle raisin with a lingering baking spiced finish.

Spectacular sipped straight and savoured. Or stir it down with vermouth, Campari and orange bitters, or in another classic cocktail.

An ace Australian single malt from the Starward range, Nova spends its life maturing in casks that previously held Australian red wine, sourced from wineries that produce Shiraz, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon.

In fact, the casks come right from the wineries, and are only lightly charred or steamed before whisky goes into them, ensuring that the wine's flavour profile has an impact on the spirit. Particularly decadent stuff, it does very well when pairing with rich foods as well as being enjoyed by itself. it's also rather good in cocktails that take advantage of the bold red fruit notes. Perhaps even a Manhattan...?

Nose: Positively bursting with red fruit, strawberries with a Port-like mixture of fruit and nuts.

Palate: Honey, cinnamon and more red fruit on the palate, creamy nutty texture, luxurious mouthfeel with a touch of tannin.

Finish: Toffee with walnuts.

Traditionally an Italian aperitif, this is a distinctly Australian twist on a classic. We start with our bold, Melbourne-made whisky, aged in Australian red wine barrels. With its big, fruity flavour, Starward whisky was always crafted to sing in a cocktail.

Starward's twist on the Old Fashioned is a distillery-batched cocktail, patiently perfected. As any bartender will tell you, a good Old Fashioned is notoriously difficult to get right. But fortunately, Starward has expert bartenders and whisky distillers under the one roof.

This whisky is a story of provenance. A single malt shaped by an icon of Australian red wine. Starward Octave Barrels is a new distinctly Australian whisky that celebrates the very best of Australian red wine and whisky craftmanship. When a whisky speaks to Australia?s wine heritage and progressive Australian whisky craft, you know it will be special. Bringing the bold flavour from Yalumba?s old vine Shiraz, Starward Octave Barrels is an intense, deliciously different whisky. This special Starward Projects release has been aged in Yalumba?s The Octavius Shiraz 100L octave-sized barrels. Maturing in these hand-coopered vessels has led to intense interaction between wood and whisky. The elegant flavours of this distinctive Barossa old vine shiraz has left its mark. It?s a full-bodied and plump expression. Aromas of raisin, ripe peach and caramel meld with red and dark forest fruit characters. Toasty oak and marshmallow have been extracted from the oak barrel staves, leaving a long and rich finish.

Another absolutely cracking limited edition release from Australia's Starward, Tawny is a single malt which has spent its entire maturation in tawny fortified wine octaves! Both fresh tawny casks from the Yalumba winery as well as charred tawny casks from SA Cooperage were used, and the whisky was crafted specially to be an after dinner sipper, full of rich dried fruit, spice and nuts.

Nose: Banana bread and dried peels, with peanut butter and raisin.

Palate: Rather Christmassy, with spiced cooked plum, more dried fruit and citrus, a good helping of malt and grape sweetness.

Finish: A dusting of brown sugar and oily nuts on a dry, spicy finish.

Commercial description

We took our juicy, signature Single Malt whisky and finished it for a further 18 months in the deliciously peated Scotch barrels from world renowned, Lagavulin Distillery.

With a passionate following of whisky enthusiasts worldwide, Lagavulin is known for their iconic peated Single Malt Scotch whisky. We admire their meticulous approach to crafting their world-famous smoky flavor.

Discovering Islay

Nestled on the rugged coast of Scotland, Islay is surrounded by salty seas and big coastal winds. Lagavulin's distinctive Islay malt is influenced by the surrounding climate, reaffirming that the very best whiskies reflect the place they're made.

Aged in Melbourne

Like the climate of Scotland, the Melbourne climate influences the maturation of our whiskies. Melbourne’s notorious four seasons in a day makes our barrels contract and expand, allowing our whisky to dynamically extract all the delicious flavor of the Lagavulin barrels.

From Starward...

We finished our red-wine-barrel-aged Australian single malt whisky in heavily peated whisky-drenched barrels from Islay, Scotland. And for the first time, you?ll taste coastal, peaty, smoky flavour in our signature fruit-forward whisky.

AROMA / Tropical fruits, toasted oak and a hint of sweet peat.

PALATE / Ripe red berries, coastal peat smoke, yellow peach and cocoa nibs.

FINISH / Oak slowly dries the palate, with a long peated finish.

COLOUR / Sunset gold

This very popular 'Project Starward' was re-released in March 2021. It begins with their award winning Solera single malt, aged in Apera barrels and culminates in a collaboration with Boatrocker Brewery. The result delivers ginger, orange and dark chocolate on the nose, while the palate sees a strong spicy ginger, fresh vanilla and pineapple character balanced by sweet raisins and figs. In short, it's a big whisky with a warming mouthfeel.

Pour over ice with a twist of orange peel to garnish. If you?re serving with food, muster maximum willpower and save Coffee Old Fashioned ?til last. A chocolatey dessert or tiramisu will be a delicious match. One word of warning though. Bring this to a party, and it might just steal the limelight.