Melbourne born and bred, Starward Founder David Vitale had a simple vision: to create a distinctly Australian whisky to offer the world with pride.
It all started with a curiosity to try and taste. With some of the world’s best red wine barrels in our backyard and quality ingredients and materials all within a day’s drive from Melbourne, we threw the rule book out the window and never looked back. That’s how something great starts, right?
Our barrels are sourced from leading wineries right in our backyard. Australian winemakers have championed innovation for decades, and we knew using local iconic red wine barrels would create an iconic whisky too. We typically use American and French oak barrels that previously held shiraz, cabernet or pinot noir, and these barrels give our whisky its bold, luscious and fruity flavour.
We proudly represent Melbourne, from the intensely reactive climate which ages and matures our whisky, to the quintessential Melbourne approach to drinking and dining – broad, eclectic and inclusive. We make modern whisky – casual, no airs nor graces, and great with food.
Introducing you to some of our award winners:
Starward Two-Fold – A rule-book-ignoring double grain whisky
Gold – San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2020
Two-Fold is an approachable and proudly versatile whisky, crafted to be enjoyed any way you like. This double grain whisky, made from Australian barley and wheat, is made to be mixed, spritzed or shaken. Try a Two-Fold and Tonic, and you’ll wonder why you need gin in your life.
Starward Nova: A single malt stamped by red wine barrel richness
Gold – San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2021
Nova is a single malt whisky adorned with many global awards, however the real gold is in the bottle. With our distillery located just a day’s drive away from Australia’s most famed wine regions, we often receive many of our barrels just hours after they were emptied. This allows us to ‘wet fill’ our barrels with new make spirit to meld with the wine’s juicy characters. As a result, Nova is a deliciously balanced yet bold whisky ideal for sharing.
Starward Fortis: Full-bodied, velvety smoothness
Gold – San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2021
Fortis meaning ‘brave’ or ‘bold’, is a full-bodied, full-flavoured celebration of local Australian ingredients. Bottled at a higher 50% ABV and non-chill filtered, this whisky is matured in 100% American oak red wine barrels, predominantly sourced from the Barossa Valley. Fortis is blended in batches, meaning each batch is unique whilst maintaining the same fundamental flavour profile and intensity.
Source: theshout.com.au