Notable Melbourne-based whisky brand, Starward, has recently launched a special limited edition whisky finished in fortified wine barrels, Tawny Cask, and we managed to snag a bottle!
Perfectly timed for Christmas, this decadent drop features a delicious deep caramel colour with an abundance of dried fruits such as dates and raisins on the nose, a smooth palate with a definite punch of sweetness offering brown sugar, molasses, and dried candied orange notes, a well-balanced finish with a touch of spice.
To create the Tawny, Starward distillers matured their signature single malt whisky in Tawny fortified wine (aka Port) barrels. For the uninitiated Tawny Port generally uses older barrels which impart a distinctive deep brown-caramel colour to the wine which is aged within its confines. For the Tawny Cask, they opted for smaller 100L octave size for a bigger punch of flavour. Fresh Tawny barrels from Yalumba imparted vibrant fruity flavours, then charred Tawny barrels from SA Cooperage were used to add more toasted notes.
A dram of this particular whisky would be an excellent end to a long day, neat and served with a well-stocked cheeseboard. As a whisk(e)y lover this is definitely one of my top drops of the year. It does have a twang of sweetness but it is not too overbearing and nicely balanced with the other citrus notes and toasted oak. I think this whisky although delicious taken neat, the Tawny element opens it up to being used in cocktails like a Negroni where the citrus characters would lend themselves nicely.
It truly is a fantastic gift idea for the whisky lover in your life or a delightful addition to a get-together with friends over the Christmas period. However, with it only coming in 500ml bottles and it being entirely gulpable, you may want to keep it for yourself!
This whisky is part of Starward Projects platform, an opportunity for its distillers to be creative with the whisky to create unique limited edition ranges. They have previously released their popular Ginger Beer cask (repeated 4 times) and a Bourbon cask which sold out in only 4 hours.
Starward Tawny Cask is available to purchase now from www.starward.com.au, at the Starward Distillery in Melbourne. There are only 4,000 of these unique bottlings. Get them before they are gone!
Food & Beverage Specialist. Usually seen with a flat white in hand or on her way to a craft beer or whiskey tasting. Needs to stop buying books and start reading them.
Starward Tawny Cask is available now for $119.00.
Starward Distillery
50 Bertie Street,
Port Melbourne, VIC 3207
