Born and bred in Melbourne, Starward was inspired to create a spirit that reflects Its hometown – from its culture to its famed ‘four seasons in a day’ temperature swings. It is a city surrounded by some of Australia’s leading wine regions – all within a day’s drive and is regarded as the microbrewing capital of Australia.
It seems obvious now that all the ingredients for a modern Australian whisky were close by, but in 2007, when we first started, the idea of an approachable, affordable Australian whisky – served neat or as a cocktail with food – was a big leap of faith.
While Australia had a well-established small-scale ultra-premium whisky scene, Starward pioneered an affordable, approachable and distinctly Australian whisky exclusively matured in Australian wine barrels.
The result is Starward. A modern Australian whisky, elementally matured for three “Melbourne years,” that pushes the boundaries of what whisky can be.
Starward Two-Fold
- NOSE \ Bright tropical fruits, mixed red berries, vanilla and cereal.
- PALATE \ A great balance of red fruit and vanilla with a nice cereal and toasty backbone.
- FINISH \ Delicate and long. A delicious, well-rounded palate that makes Two-Fold perfect for drinking neat or in your favorite cocktails.
Starward Nova
Starward Unexpeated
Starward Whisky has fused the new world Australian way with old world Scottish expertise to craft UNEXPEATED, a new red wine barrel aged Australian single malt whisky, finished in peated whisky-drenched barrels from the finest distilleries in Islay, Scotland. For the first time, whisky drinkers will taste coastal, peaty, smoky flavour in Starward’s signature fruit-forward whisky. Now that’s UNEXPEATED!
Our juicy, tropical Starward flavours have taken on peat smoke character, in this latest release. On your tongue, subtle sweet peat melds with red-wine-barrel red berries and sticky golden peaches. You’ll discover coastal peat in the aroma and a lingering smouldering dry finish too.
Nose: Tropical fruits, toasted oak and a hint of sweet peat.
Palate: Ripe red berries, coastal peat smoke, yellow peaches and cocoa nibs.
Finish: Oak slowly dries the palate, with a long peated finish after.
Starward Solera
Starward (New) Old Fashioned Cocktail
A good Old Fashioned is notoriously difficult to get just right. Instead, we've put in the hard yards for you. This no fuss, new world take on a classic cocktail will let you indulge your tastebuds without having to play bartender all night.
Expertly crafted by our top Starward distillers and bartenders. We take our signature single malt and add house-made wattle seed and orange bitters and demerara sugar. The perfect mellow balance of spice with just a hint of sweetness.
Nose: Rich vanilla and orange, lifted by aromatic bitters, spices and bright citrus.
Palate: Decadent and full bodied, balanced by dry wattle seed, red fruit, orange and coffee.
Finish: A long finish, sweet, dry and balanced.
Pour over ice with a twist of orange. With 10 serves in a bottle, it's great at a BBQ with steak, sardines or chicken.
Starward 100 Proof
- NOSE \ Upfront aromas of Madagascan vanilla pods, rich toasted American oak, blackberry jam, raisins, dried fig, and over ripe plums.
- PALATE \ Rich and full bodied, vanilla, quince paste, Muscadelle raisins, chocolate ganache, cinnamon and baked banana bread.
- FINISH \ Viscous and long. Capturing the whole palate and balanced well with a finish of baking spices from the oak and ripe figs and raisins.
Starward Vitalis
Vitalis is a limited-edition whisky that commemorates Starward's 15th anniversary. A true encapsulation of our life in a bottle, Vitalis comprises of six, hand-selected whisky parcels that all hold a special piece in Starward's story. With notes of chocolate-coated pineapples, coffee beans and tropical fruits, you'll find Vitalis nestles perfectly next to your favourite home cooked meal or sipped neat on its own.
Vitalis represents Starward’s life and how we are looking to new horizons. Named after our Founder, David Vitale, Vitalis is a signpost of David's gumption to "bet the farm" in hopes of creating a modern and accessible whisky. This dedication led to the food-friendly and approachable whisky that Starward is known for today, which Vitalis celebrates with its unique liquid story.
Aroma: Chewy toffee, raisins, chocolate coated pineapples and cedar.
Palate: Big & viscous, rich dried fruits, red currant, and lightly roasted coffee beans. Nice balance with the bright tropical, old school Starward spirit.
Finish: Long & oily finish with a delicate balance of fruit and oak. The higher ABV gives good palate weight and texture.
Starward Coffee Old Fashioned Cocktail
Coffee Old Fashioned is our take on a classic cocktail recipe, with a typically Melburnian caffeinated kick. We start with our award-winning whisky, aged in Melbourne’s variable weather in red wine barrels from world-class local wineries. Together with Mr Black’s delicious cold brew coffee liqueur and our distillery made orange bitters, we intended our rich, fruity whisky to shine in a cocktail. Taste this, and we rest our case.
Pour over ice with a twist of orange peel to garnish. Best served with chocolatey dessert or tiramisu. One word of warning though. Bring this to a party, and it might just steal the limelight.
Nose: Intense coffee, vanilla with a hint of orange peel.
Palate: Coffee forward followed by dark chocolate and cacao.
Finish: Textural and rounding. Vanilla and light roasted coffee bean.
Starward Muscat Cask
Starward Muscat | Single Malt Australian Whisky
Fully Matured in Muscat Barrels; combination of fresh and charred barrels In a Starward first, this single malt whisky was fully matured for 4 years in Muscat barrels from Rutherglen, Victoria. Australia produces some of the finest Muscat fortified wine, and we are lucky to have access to these barrels within a day's drive of our distillery.
Our distillers used two parcels of locally sourced casks, wet filled and charred. The whisky absorbed the brightly perfumed aroma from the wet filled casks while the charred casks provided caramelized Muscat undertones and a toasty oak profile.
Our team are no strangers to experimenting with fortified wine. Our very first whisky, Solera, is fully matured in Apera barrels while our previous Dolce and Tawny releases show further variation in our fortified wine barrel maturation.
This latest Projects release is a nod to the iconic Muscat grape, balancing the deliciously sweet, sticky characters with soft oak spice from the barrels. Featuring notes of toasted almond, raisins, and cinnamon, it's delicisous sipped neat and fits perfectly around the dinner table.
Nose: Toasted almonds and raisins, topped with sweet and juicy lychees.
Palate: Imagine a plate of hot sticky cinnamon spice buns, straight out of the oven. Smooth and delicate, with hints of toasted oak and liquorice.