Starward 5yo 2019/2024

Starward 5yo 2019/2024

#14, The Heart Cut
Single malt - Victoria
Red
55% ABV
Dram

Nose: Chocolate, raisins, strawberry jam, magic marker, fresh baked bread, vanilla, white pepper. With water, strawberry jam, raisins, chocolate, hints of golden syrup. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, volatile, loosens, hot. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Strawberry jam, blackcurrant cordial, white pepper, fresh baked bread, raisins, apricot jam, hints of marzipan, hints of brown butter. With water, raisins, marzipan, golden syrup, hints of brown butter. 
Finish: Long. Strawberry jam, magic marker, marzipan, white pepper, blackcurrant cordial. 

Comments: 

Another red wine cask with high ABV, lots of fruit notes, but here it’s deeper, with flavours of butter and nuts. It takes water well, the buttery notes become more forward and intense. Very nice indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Starward 6yo 2018/2024

Starward 6yo 2018/2024

#15, The Heart Cut
Single malt - Victoria
Red
54% ABV
Dram

Nose: Strawberry laces, cherry blossom, fresh baked bread, lemon zest, black pepper, hints of raspberry jam. With water, malted grains, black pepper, cherry blossom. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, expands, volatile. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Lemon zest, blackcurrant cordial, cherry blossom, vanilla, cola nuts, fresh baked bread, mint, hints of raspberry jam. With water, blackcurrant cordial, black pepper, hints of coffee. 
Finish: Medium. Blackcurrant cordial, raspberry jam, strawberry laces, cherry blossom, mint. 

Comments: 

High ABV red wine cask, usually a recipe for disaster but in this case, it makes a very floral sweet whisky. Lots of interaction between the wood and the spirit, creating fruity and vanilla notes. Complex and layered.

Verdict:

I like this.

Starward Dolce 2016/2020

Starward Dolce 2016/2020

Official bottling 
Single malt - Victoria
Red
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Watermelons, peanut brittle, strawberry laces, malted grains, honey, foam shrimp, hints of peanut butter. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, warm, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Peanut butter, sea salt, strawberry laces, cinnamon, honey, hints of foam shrimp. 
Finish: Medium. Orange peel, peanut brittle, cloves, honey, cinnamon. 

Comments: 

Sweet and winey, lots and lots of sweet notes, but there’s some peanut there that’s almost smoky. It’s quite unbalanced, but it’s still rather tasty, if you’re in the mood for sweet stuff.

Verdict:

I like this.

Starward 2017 Unexpeated

Starward 2017 Unexpeated 

Official bottling 
Single malt - Victoria

Amber, hints of red 
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, peat, raisins, strawberry jam, marshmallows, orange juice, white pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, tingly mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Raisins, strawberry jam, driftwood smoke, charcoal ash, cedar, white pepper, damson jam. 
Finish: Long. Orange juice, white pepper, charcoal ash, peat, hints of damson jam. 

Comments: 

A good melding of sherry and peat. Lots of white pepper and jam offset some ashy, salty, smoky peat. It’s complex and flavourful, and well-balanced. Great whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Starward Tawny Cask 2018/2022

Starward Tawny Cask 2018/2022

Official bottling 
Single malt - Victoria
Dark copper
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Black tea, strawberry jam, damson jam, milk chocolate, croissants, cinnamon, hints of cloves. With water, orange peel, raisins, damson jam, croissants, hints of butterscotch. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, tingly, warm. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Strawberry jam, croissants, cloves, orange peel, honey, cherries. With water, salt caramel, orange peel, strawberry jam, cinnamon. 
Finish: Long. Orange peel, milk chocolate, raisins, damson jam. 

Comments: 

Sweet and luscious, this is more complex than your usual port cask finish. Lots of bread and butter, salt caramel and candied orange peel. Very enjoyable of an evening.

Verdict:

I like this.

Starward Vitalis

Starward Vitalis

Official bottling 
Single malt - Victoria
Amber brown
52% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, honey, strawberry jam, malted grains, black pepper, blackcurrants. With water, honey, strawberry jam, marmalade. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, expands, mouth coating, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Honey, black pepper, strawberry jam, cherries, malted grains, hints of raisins. With water, marmalade, raisins, malted grains. 
Finish: Short. Black pepper, cherries, marmalade, strawberry jam. 

Comments: 

Sweet, intense and honeyed, lots of cherry notes, almost like cough mixture. It’s a little one note in some ways, but is nevertheless quite good. It was a pleasure to try this.

Verdict:

I like this.

Starward Ginger Beer Cask #6 2017/202

Starward Ginger Beer Cask #6 2017/2021

Official bottling 
Single malt - Victoria
Copper
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Gingerbread, black tea, honey, cloves, malted grains, caramel, hints of orange peel. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, expands, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Gingerbread, malted grains, green tea, black tea, orange peel, sea salt, nutmeg, hints of cloves. 
Finish: Long. Malted grains, gingerbread, honey, cloves. 

Comments: 

Sweet and spicy, everything you’d expect from a ginger beer cask. I’ve been trying to find this one for a while, it seems very popular. And now I know why.

Verdict:

I like this.

Starward 5yo 2011/2021

Starward 5yo 2011/2021

Selection, Adelphi 
Single malt - Victoria
Amber pink
58.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Ginger, stale beer, malted grains, dark chocolate, orange peel, nutmeg, black pepper, hints of gas. With water, honey, blackcurrant cordial, strawberries, cinnamon, orange peel. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, hot, slippery, turns watery around the edges. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Malted grains, dark chocolate, dried apricots, blackcurrant cordial, black pepper, bananas, hints of ginger, hints of cardboard. With water, strawberries, cinnamon, blackcurrant cordial, dried apricots. 
Finish: Short. Black pepper, bananas, nutmegs, dried apricots. 

Comments: 

This whisky was rested in an inert vessel for 5 years. Lots of wine and fruit, as befits an Aperol finished whisky. It’s got whiffs that remind me of bourbon, and there are some feinty, slightly cardboardy notes underneath.

Verdict:

I like this.

Starward 3yo Batch 1

Starward 3yo Batch 1

That Boutique-y Whisky Company 
Single malt - Victoria
Amber red
56% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, red grapes, violets, orange peel, fresh baked bread, sea salt, hints of caramel. With water, orange peel, raisins, hints of ketchup. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, hot, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Red grapes, sea salt, orange peel, lemon thyme, caramel, hints of bananas. With water, fresh baked bread, orange peel, raisins, black tea, oats. 
Finish: Medium. Walnut skins, caramel, orange peel, violets. 

Comments: 

Quite floral, as Starwards are wont to be. Lots of red grit, but also a herbal, savoury note. On the nose this opens up with water to be tomato ketchup - highly unusual, of course. It’s quite cereally as well, once water is added. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Starward Two-Fold

Starward Two-Fold

Official bottling
Single blend - Victoria
Amber red
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Fresh baked bread, vanilla, toast, rolled oats, chocolate, raisins, toasted coconut. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, loose, slightly watery. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Toasted coconut, milk chocolate, vanilla, white grapes, rolled oats. 
Finish: Medium. Rolled oats, vanilla, cream of wheat, fresh baked bread, hints of clotted cream. 

Comments: 

A blend of malt and grain, both distilled at New World, finished in their usual wine casks. It's cereally, laden with vanilla and spice, but with that blanket of wine flavours over it. I particularly like the finish, it's heaped with a sweet, wheaty, chewy bite.

Verdict:

I like this.

Starward Nova

Starward Nova

Official bottling
Single malt - Victoria
Pale purple
41% ABV
Dram

Nose: Strawberries, blueberries, chocolate, brown paper, orange zest. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, loose, cool. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Red grapes, blueberries, strawberries, chocolate, nutmeg, fresh baked bread. 
Finish: Short. Fresh baked bread, vanilla, orange zest, hints of strawberries. 

Comments: 

Very young whisky, heavily steeped in red wine wood. It's absorbed all the classic notes, fruit, chocolate, vanilla, but it's also got a bready, cereally character that holds it all together. Lovely stuff.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Starward Solera Single Malt

Starward Solera Single Malt

Official bottling
Single malt - Victoria
Amber
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, honey, raisins, orange peel, black tea, hints of chocolate. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, slippery, oily, thickens. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Honey, vanilla, fresh baked bread, raisins, cinnamon, chocolate, hints of pears. 
Finish: Short. Red grapes, vanilla, fresh baked bread, chocolate. 

Comments: 

Heavy, chewy, sticky and great. This whisky tastes like chocolate chip cookies and stewed pears. There's a lot of sweetness as you'd expect with a solera matured expression, but there's also complexity and depth. Good stuff.

Verdict:

I like this.

Starward 10th Anniversary Release

Starward 10th Anniversary Release

Official bottling
Single malt - Victoria
Amber red
52% ABV
Dram

Nose: Red grapes, roses, orange peel, honey, strawberries, hints of peaches. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, slippery, turns watery. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Roses, strawberries, black tea, dried pears, peaches. 
Finish: Long. Vanilla, raisins, cookie dough, black tea. 

Comments: 

A celebratory release by New World, marking the distillery's 10th anniversary. It's a vatting of 10 casks distilled throughout the last 10 years. There's definitely a red wine finish, and a couple of sherry casks. It's fruity and floral, and perhaps a little too sweet, but it's highly drinkable and very characteristic of the distillery.

Verdict:

I like this.

Starward Limited Release Wine Cask Edition

Starward Limited Release Wine Cask Edition

Official bottling
Single malt - Victoria
Rose
41% ABV
Dram

Nose: Rhubarb and custard sweets, brass polish, red grapes, black pepper, orange peel. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, watery, static. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Orange peel, rhubarb and custard sweets, red grapes, cherries, honey. 
Finish: Short. Cherries, honey, red grapes, black tea. 

Comments: 

Batch no 170721-A. A red wine cask finished 'spirit drink', as it's about 2 and a quarter years old. Quite spicy, and very, very fruity. I especially like the cherry notes, not very common.

Verdict:

I like this.

Starward Malt Whisky

Starward Malt Whisky

Official bottling
Single malt - Victoria
Copper
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cream, cherries, raisins, chocolate, almonds, hints of cherry brandy. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, turns watery, loose, airy. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Cream, cherry brandy, chocolate, blackcurrants, red grapes, hints of hay. 
Finish: Long. Cherry brandy, blackcurrants, red grapes, marzipan. 

Comments: 

Matured in Apera barrels (what's Apera?). Cherries, cherries, cherries. Fresh, brandied, and even maraschino? Fruity and sweet, creamy too, Plenty of almonds as well. Very good for something I plucked off the shelf thinking it said 'Star Wars Malt Whisky'.

Verdict:

I like this.