Starward Single Malt Single Barrel Shelf Review

Shelf Review
Designed to give you all the quick hit information you need when you’re standing in front of your local liquor store’s whisky shelf.

Starward Distillery, located in Port Melbourne Australia, is probably the most famous whisky brand hailing from “down under”. Started in 2007, they have become best known for their innovative and extensive use of Australian red wine barrels for their whisky maturation. This particular single barrel of Starward’s single malt was selected by Liquor Lineup in Las Vegas back in 2022. Barrel number 12296 was originally barreled in August 2018 and aged for its entire four years in a red wine barrel from the Barossa Valley in south Australia. It apparently has sat for a while, as I picked this up in late 2024.

Age: 4 Years Old

ABV: 55.6%

Cask: Aged in red wine barrels from the Barossa Valley

MSRP: $50

Distillery Name: Starward Distillery

Review Date: 2/15/25

Nose: Big red wine, with stewed red fruits, fragrant perfume, rosewater, fresh cotton candy, pink Twizzlers and wood oil. Sweet and inviting.

Palate: Dry malty funk mixed with heavy red wine, bold tannins, melted licorice, and cherry ice cream. The heat is contained well but its overly drying character makes for a less than enjoyable mouthfeel. 

Finish: Medium length finish, with more oak and mouth puckering tannin. Almost like licking the inside of an empty wine barrel.   

Score: 83

Would I buy again? Starward’s single malt is designed for a specific type of person – and I’m not sure that’s me. I’ve always struggled with red wine finished whiskies because I often find their drying character a bit too in my face. In the case of this particular barrel, I think aging for over 4 years in an ex-red wine cask was a bit too much for me. This is likely perfect for someone who loves big reds but wants a bit more oomph from their pours. But would I buy this again? Not likely.