Starward Nova Single Malt Review
In-Depth Review
We are rounding out our tour through Starward’s core expressions with a sample pour of their Nova Single Malt. For full transparency I should mention I once did have a bottle of this, but sadly that bottle was finished long before I started reviewing whisky. But luckily, I have been given a sample of Nova to once again experience and review. This is Starward’s flagship single malt and features an age of around 2 years, a strange 82 proof, and as with all Starward expressions, a red wine cask maturation process. Two years might sound young, but Melbourne features climates similar to the insane temperature swings of India and Taiwan, so in reality, the maturation process can happen much faster than in Scotland. So will this bottle be the home run that Starward is hoping for? Let’s dive in and find out.
Age: Non-Age Stated (But around 2 years old)
ABV: 41%
Cask: Ex-red wine barrels
MSRP: $50
Distillery Name: Starward
Review Date: 12/29/22
Color: Dull Gold
Nose: Starting off the nose is a big burst of red fruit and honeysuckle. Right off the bat, you can tell the influence the red wine had on this. Lurking in the background is some sweet malt note with orange blossom and sourdough bread that lends to an overall tangy quality to the nose.
Palate: The palate hits a bit differently than the nose with more acidity coming into play. There’s also red apple, a touch of grain, and a strong woody and tannic quality throughout. Halfway through the palate is goes quite dry – probably from the heavy wine influence here. The mouthfeel is lackluster and doesn’t deliver a very enjoyable experience.
Finish: Short to medium length finish that continues being very dry and tannic. It finishes on a note of red Pez candy and grape. The dry, winey forward finish makes you wonder if you have just taken a sip of wine rather than whisky.
Final Thoughts: Out of all of the core Starward expressions, I am left most disappointed by this Nova Single Malt. For someone who doesn’t love red wine much, this expression comes off too wine heavy for me. Starward talks about how they use “wet” wine barrels to age their stocks and I wonder if these barrels are just too wet with wine for this young distillate to stand up against. Their Solera expression may have outperformed the Nova simply because some of the distillate had more time to evolve through the Solera process. But don’t let my red wine aversion dissuade you. This could be the perfect gateway whisky for those wine drinkers in your life who want to get into single malt. It just isn’t what I’d choose from their lineup.
