Starward
The Australian Starward distillery, based in Melbourne, has been producing Whisky since 2015. The founder, David Vitale, has Italian ancestors, but was raised in Melbourne. He cares a lot about his roots, which is why Starward Whisky matures exclusively in red wine casks.
| Information about the Distillery | |
|---|---|
| Australia | |
| 144.938352 -37.828461 | |
| Active | |
| David Vitale | |
| https://starward.com.au/ |
| Average tasting notes Tasting notes |
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Nosing
Fruit:
Sweet:
Berries:
Oak:
Sherry:
Tropical Fruit:
Vanilla:
Malt:
Spices:
Zitrus:
Caramel:
Raisin:
Fig:
Pineapple:
Nutmeg:
Grape:
Apple:
Peat Smoke:
Orange:
Barley:
Pear:
Dried Fruit:
Banana:
Nuts:
Herb:
Leather:
Chocolate:
Wheat:
Maritime Notes:
Alcohol:
Herbs:
Peach:
Plum:
Iodine:
Ginger:
Lemon:
Tobacco:
Almonds:
Blackberry:
Lemon Peel:
Coconut:
Honey:
Floral:
Red Currant:
Oil:
Seaweed:
Heather:
Cinnamon:
Date:
Chili:
Hazelnut:
Strawberry:
Tasting
Fruit:
Sweet:
Spices:
Oak:
Sherry:
Berries:
Vanilla:
Caramel:
Nuts:
Malt:
Zitrus:
Grape:
Dried Fruit:
Herb:
Oil:
Apple:
Peat Smoke:
Tropical Fruit:
Orange:
Dark Chocolate:
Raisin:
Chocolate:
Honey:
Alcohol:
Banana:
Pineapple:
Pepper:
Fig:
Cinnamon:
Nutmeg:
Peach:
Herbs:
Lemon:
Cherry:
Maritime Notes:
Blackberry:
Chili:
Salt:
Pear:
Floral:
Lemon Peel:
Plum:
Barley:
Lime:
Wheat:
Heather:
Red Currant:
Leather:
Black Currant:
Rye:
Cake:
Ginger:
Seaweed:
Clove:
Bonfire Smoke:
Finish
Fruit:
Oak:
Spices:
Sweet:
Nuts:
Sherry:
Malt:
Berries:
Grape:
Peat Smoke:
Vanilla:
Oil:
Caramel:
Almonds:
Herb:
Tropical Fruit:
Zitrus:
Chili:
Dried Fruit:
Raisin:
Alcohol:
Anis:
Cinnamon:
Fig:
Orange:
Herbs:
Heather:
Tobacco:
Ginger:
Chocolate:
Apple:
Peach:
Clove:
Date:
Wheat:
Maritime Notes:
Pear:
Seaweed:
Plum:
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The Whisky
The Starward range is broad: whether Single Malt, Double Grain or Whisky cocktails, there is something for every taste. The particular feature of the Australian distillery's Whiskies is their maturation, which takes place entirely in former wine casks. You can feel the closeness to Italian culture not only in the use of red wine barrels, but also in the connection to food. Vitale wanted to bring out a Whisky that could be enjoyed not only after a meal, but also during it. So the Starward Whisky is also a wonderful fit for Melbourne, where there is a vibrant food scene with cuisines from all over the world.
The Single Malt Starward Solera is matured in Apera red wine casks, an Australian strong wine similar to sherry.
For the Double Grain Starward Two-Fold, the wheat and barley malt typical of Australia are blended. In addition, as with the Single Malt Starward Nova, Shiraz, Cabernet and Pinot Noir barrels are used. Before these are filled with Whisky, many are even lightly wetted with wine.
As the name suggests, the Starward Fortis is bottled with a strong 50 percent alcohol content. This Single Malt is matured exclusively in red wine casks made of American oak.
In addition to the standard range, the distillery repeatedly releases special and limited bottlings in the 'Project Series'. Here, Starward experiments with cask finishes to create special and more flavour-intensive bottlings.
The Production
The distillery only uses ingredients that are grown no more than a day's journey from the distillery, including the Australian barley malt. During fermentation, brewer's yeast is added and fermented for the Starward Nova and Starward Solera. This gives the Whisky a tropical fruit character.
The barley is malted in a special process and fermented for 69 to 72 hours before it is distilled. The use of Australian malt and water creates a Whisky that reflects the terroir of Australia.
Starward Whisky is double distilled in two large copper stills - a 7,000 litre wash still and a 3,600 litre spirit still - which are fitted with special water jackets. In this way, the distillation can be better controlled to produce the fruity aromas desired by the distillery.
The Maturation
Starward selects red wine casks from nearby wineries for the maturation of their Whiskies, which were previously used for the storage of Australian red wine. These come, for example, from the Barossa Valley and the Yarra Valley, well-known Australian wine regions.
The high temperature fluctuations in Melbourne, which is known for its changeable weather, contribute to a faster maturation of the Whisky. Whiskies here are ready for bottling after just three years. As the climate is also much drier than in Scotland, Starward's 'New Make' can be filled into the barrels with a lower alcohol content without any major losses. Thus, the fruit notes and wine tannins are better preserved for the Whisky.
The History
The Starward Distillery story began in 2007 when founder David Vitale decided to open a distillery in Melbourne. Originally coming from a craft beer background, Vitale initially considered opening a microbrewery. However, due to Melbourne's changeable weather, there would have been problems with the durability of the beer. After realising that Beer and Whisky have a lot in common in the creation process, such as ingredients and fermentation, he decided to build a distillery instead.
The Visitor Centre
The Starward Distillery offers Single Malt tours including tasting as well as Whisky masterclasses. It is also possible to book special cocktail masterclasses for private parties or to enjoy a drink in the Starward Bar.
Distillery Address:
New World Whisky Distillery Pty Ltd
50 Bertie St
Port Melbourne,
VIC Australia
E-Mail: info@starward.com.au
Tel: +61 (0)3 9005 4420
User Notes about the Distillery
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