We Tried the Best Whiskey You’ve Never Heard Of (No, Seriously)

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https://www.gearpatrol.com/food/drinks/ ... ky-review/

We Tried the Best Whiskey You’ve Never Heard Of (No, Seriously)

An unsung brand took home one of the most prestigious honors in whiskey-making. We tracked some down.
By Johnny Brayson
Updated: Aug 27, 2023
whiskey in a glass neat
Chandler Bondurant

Even if you don't hunt down rare bottles in free time, you’re probably familiar with the most significant brands in whiskey-making: The Macallan. Buffalo Trace. Jack Daniel's.

And, if you had to guess, you’d probably assume that one of those names (or some other heavy-hitting brand with famous labels), was named the Most Awarded Distillery of the Year at last year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition, an annual event akin to the Oscars of spirits.


Shockingly, the brand that took home the most trophies at the prestigious global competition — which saw over 4,000 distilleries competing in 2022 — was a distillery that you almost certainly haven’t heard of: Starward Australian Whisky.
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The distillery smoked the competition, taking home 12 Double Gold and 3 Gold medals. In the process it also became the first Australian distillery to be named Most Awarded Distillery of the Year.

Such a performance from an underdog certainly got my attention, so I sampled Starward’s range of whiskies to see if they lived up to their championship pedigree.

The Starward Australian Whisky Lineup
bottle of starward whiskey on a table
Starward Australian Whisky’s lineup of bottles that dominated at San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2022.
Johnny Brayson
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A few things make Starward's whisky-making process unique. One is that the distillery ages its whiskies in wine barrels (typically red wine), imparting more complex flavor than you'd get from, say, new oak barrels. The unique climate of Melbourne, Australia, where the distillery is located, also allows for much shorter maturation times than is typical, due to the city's "four seasons in a day" climate, a process that Starward refers to as "elemental maturation."

Starward has three whiskies in its core lineup, along with other rotating limited offerings. For the broadest picture of the distillery's output, I tried the three core bottles along with the latest limited offering, all of which are described below.

Nova: This is an 82-proof single malt aged for three years in red wine barrels. It won Double Gold medals at SFWSC.

Solera: Another Double Gold-winning single malt, Solera was the distillery's initial offering. It's matured in apera barrels for three years and is bottled at 86 proof.

Two-Fold: A more affordable double-grain whisky made with wheat and malted barley that won a Gold medal at SFWSC, Two-Fold is recommended mainly for cocktails. Like Nova, it's aged in red wine barrels for three years and bottled at 80 proof.

Vitalis: The distillery's most premium limited offering to date, which was released at the tail-end of 2022 (so it missed out on SFWSC) to commemorate the distillery's 15th anniversary. It's a single malt made with whisky aged between 4 and 10 years in red wine, tawny, bourbon, apera (an Australian sherry-like wine) and rum barrels.
How do Starward Australian Whisky's Expressions taste?
Starward Nova

On the nose, Nova smells terrific. It's heavy on the oak with some berries mixed in, and it honestly smells good enough that I kind of want this scent bottled as a room spray. On the palate it's exceptionally smooth, almost confusingly so — I had to double-check the proof on the bottle to make sure this was indeed an 82-proof whisky I was sipping. The oak remains from the nose, but the taste is mostly influenced by red wine, resulting in an overall earthy flavor. The finish is just a bit spicy but with almost no heat — an experience unlike any whisky I'd ever tried before.
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Starward Nova Single Malt Australian Whisky
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$52.99
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Starward Solera
bottle of starward whiskey on a table
Johnny Brayson

On the nose, Solera — which is aged in sherry-like apera casks rather than Starward's signature red wine barrels — is significantly sweeter and fruitier, with strong whiffs of cherry. Take a sip, and the apera comes into play, resulting in a taste somewhat reminiscent of Italian vermouth with a hint of bitterness. This to me almost tastes more like a Manhattan than a whiskey neat...which makes me think it would make a killer Manhattan or whiskey negroni. The finish certainly brings more heat than Nova, but it's a pleasant warmness that lingers for just a few seconds and leaves you wanting another drink.
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Starward Solera Single Malt Australian Whisky
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$65.99
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Starward Two-Fold

With an suggested retail price around half that of the other two core bottles in Starward's collection, I didn't have the highest hopes for Two-Fold as a sipping whisky — but I came away pleasantly surprised. On the nose, it's dessert-like, with creamy vanilla and lots of honey. On the tongue, it's the most "whiskey-like" of Starward's offerings: mellow and slightly sweet, not unlike a wheated bourbon, with considerably less of the wine-y notes of the distillery's other bottles. They're still there, though, hiding in the background and adding a slight and mysterious extra element. The finish, again, has very little heat, with a creamier mouthfeel than the other bottles.
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Starward Two-Fold Australian Whisky
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$43.99 $29.99 (32% off)
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Starward Vitalis

Vitalis is Starward's premier offering. It's their most expensive whisky, it's aged the longest and it takes the most expertise to blend. But how does it taste?

On the nose, it's certainly harsher than the others due to the higher alcohol content (104 proof), but once you get past the initial sting there is a lot going on. I get apple, fig, vanilla, cinnamon, caramel — it's a cornucopia of scents. On the palate, the fruit dissipates but the vanilla and caramel stick around with some oak joining in, making for a shockingly traditional flavor considering this hooch spent time maturing in six different casks. The bourbon cask seems to have left the biggest impression here, and the finish is mostly oak with a touch of spice. It's good, for sure, but tastes a bit pedestrian compared to Starward's other offerings, especially considering the price.
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Starward Vitalis Single Malt Australian Whisky
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$144.99
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Bottom Line

When it comes to Starward's success at last year's SFWSC, I get it. The distillery's whiskies are all quite good, and they stand out in a crowd thanks to their unique maturation process bringing in some unexpected flavors and frankly insane smoothness.

For the best representation of the Starward style, I'd recommend a bottle of Nova, thanks to its strong red wine notes and the almost-total absence of heat. If you want something more traditional-tasting for your shelf, opt for Two-Fold. Or, best bet, pick up a sampler pack with all three core bottles. You won't be dissapointed.
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