Starward Wine Cask Edition 1 is the second expression in the Starward range from New World Whisky Distillery in Melbourne.
Starward Wine Cask Edition 1 – Photo © Cocktails & Bars
“It’s the whisky I’ve always wanted to make,” David Vitale, CEO & Founder said of the single malt matured exclusively in Australian red wine barrels during our visit to the New World Whisky Distillery.
Starward was created at a time when the whisky scene was different to the present. Vitale saw an opportunity to create a modern whisky that shares as much with Scotch as it does with Bourbon and rum and for it to be made using Australian methods. He felt that people needed to be brought along the journey before they would accept a whisky created using innovative methods with wine cask maturation. The market has since shifted with more acceptance of Australian whisky aged in Australian wine barrels and it is the right time to for the second release.
Starward Wine Cask Edition 1 (41% ABV) is matured in 100% Barossa Shiraz casks shipped directly from the winery. The whisky is aged typically in 100 litre, 200 litre and some 300 litre re-coopered wine barrels between 2 years and 1 day up to 2.5 years, a little less that the sherry matured Starward. The spirit mellows with the wood influence a little faster in wine casks than sherry butts.
For the tasting notes, Starward Wine Cask Edition 1 is bright copper in colour with aromas of raisins, toffee and nougat with only a hint of bananas. The palate abounds with red fruit, plums, some spice and cinnamon and finishes long and dry with fine tannins. A most delicious whisky expression from Starward, and one that is easy to sip neat at any time of the night or enjoy with a cheese platter and dark chocolate.
Starward Wine Cask Edition 1 is priced at $75.00 AUD at Cellar Door.
This article was originally published on May 11, 2015 on our sister website Gourmantic.
