Victoria Archives - Whisky a Day

Whisky #599: Starward Cognac Cask Single Malt

January 26, 2023 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Starward Cognac Cask Single Malt. Victoria, Australia. ABV: 48%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $135 (bottle).

Happy Australia Day! 🇦🇺🦘Thought it was only appropriate to rip into this bonza Starward Cognac Cask single malt made in Melbourne, Australia. Enjoy!

Colour: Deep sunburnt plains.

Nose: Dried apricots, fresh banana bread, cinnamon & vanilla.

Palate: Medium bodied biscuity goodness. Buttery soft salted caramel macarons. Both the taste and mouthfeel of freshly baked Anzac biscuits that are still soft and warm as you bite into them.

Finish: Fresh strawberries and cream, passionfruit pulp. The creamy juiciness you get at the bottom of a tropical fruit salad slathered over pavlova.

Comments: A rich, creamy and fruity delight. This is a wonderful summery whisky. The perfect dram to sip on a stinking hot Australia Day! 🇦🇺🥃

Whisky #580: Morris Rutherglen Muscat Barrels Single Malt

September 5, 2021 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Morris Rutherglen Muscat Barrels Single Malt. Rutherglen, Victoria, Australia. ABV: 46%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $140 (bottle).

Colour: Pinkish brass.

Nose: Juicy raisins, caramelised sugar, soft oak.

Palate: It’s all about the jam…blackberry jam and mulberry jam. Slightly oily and cooling mouth-coating, melted butter mouthfeel and flavours to start, then quickly fading to a drying slightly tannic sensation.

Finish: Long lingering blueberry jam, soft cigar leaves and a very well balanced oak. A slight warmth that tapers slowly, particularly on the tip of the tongue. A long tail…it’s like it doesn’t want to leave your mouth.

Comments: Morris of Rutherglen have been known for many years as excellent producers of fortified wines, particularly their Muscat for which the Rutherglen region is particularly renowned. So it came as a surprise to most of the industry when they announced themselves as brand new Australian whisky producer, releasing the the Morris Rutherglen Muscat Single Malt, along with its entry level 40% ABV sibling, the Morris Signature Single Malt.

The sneaky buggers from Morris kept these whiskies close to their chest rather than expending effort building brand awareness before their official launch. Judging by this Morris Rutherglen Muscat Single Malt, Morris have arrived – keenly priced and bloody delicious.

Even the Morris Rutherglen Muscat box is tasty apparently…

Whisky #441: New World Projects Starward Limited Release Pedro Ximinez Sherry Cask #3

November 26, 2016 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by New World Projects Starward Limited Release Pedro Ximinez Sherry Cask #3 (Batch No. 160920-A). Victoria, Australia. ABV: 48.0%. Tasted at home, $120 (bottle).

Colour: Molten copper. Stunning.

Nose: Like opening a roll of blackcurrant pastilles. Toffee and some soft fresh pine timber notes too.

Palate: Crème caramel with the barest hint of smoke. Definitely not peaty. Fresh, tart raspberries and crème brûlée. It’s creamy and caramelly. Lots of flavour, a dryish mouthfeel but with some creaminess too. Like a sponge cake with cream.

Finish: Butter Menthols, chocolate and cocoa; some coffee notes too. It’s basically a tiramisu.

Comments: This is like a liquid dessert, yet is not overly sweet. It’s refreshing to try a whisky matured in an ex Sherry cask that doesn’t taste like the stereotypical Christmas cake in a glass. Another outstanding whisky from the folks at New World Whisky Distillery, makers of Starward. Highly recommended.

Whisky #392: New World Projects Double Cask Release #1 Single Malt

January 27, 2016 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by New World Projects Double Cask Release #1 Single Malt. New World Whisky Distillery, Essendon, Victoria, Australia. ABV: 48.6%. Tasted at home, $140 (bottle).

Yesterday was Australia Day and we took a look at a lesser known Australian whisky, Dobson’s Belle Epoque Cask Strength Single Malt. I thought bugger it, let’s make this Australia week. All Aussie whiskies, all week. Let’s head south to Melbourne and check out one from New World Whisky Distillery. Enjoy!

Colour: Luminescent amber. Keeping with the Aussie theme, to paraphrase (and with apologies to) The 12th Man…”Luminescent amber?! That’s Australian gold my friend and don’t you f*ckin’ forget it!”

Nose: Vanilla sponge cake; some zesty yet sweet citrus notes too; slight nose prickle.

Palate: A cool and light mouthfeel on entry, the flavours seem to concentrate down the middle of your tongue closely followed by some building heat. Cigar box, spice and summery fruit salad flavours…like you’ve just smoked a cigar on a hot summer’s afternoon after having a mojito. Ah, take me back to Cuba and sunset cigars and mojitos at the Hotel Nationale in Havana…

Finish: A drying finish, quite long on the mid palate with some dried fruits (think sultanas or raisins). An interesting balance, a touch of sweetness and peppery notes to conclude.

Comments: Another fine project whisky from New World Whisky Distillery, the Australian whisky producers more widely known for Starward whisky. It is a marriage of whisky matured in two Australian Tawny Port casks, one first fill and the other second fill. This was one of the whiskies I selected as part of my “Rebuilding a Whisky Collection – The $1000 Challenge“, have to say I’m quite pleased with this one. It’s not going to be a whisky that you’ll take one sip and it will change your life, but I have a sneaky feeling that the more drams I have the more fond of it I will become.

Whisky #375 – New World Projects Ginger Beer Cask Finished Starward Single Malt

June 30, 2015 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

New World Projects Ginger Beer Cask Finished Starward Single Malt (Cask #2). Essendon, Victoria, Australia. ABV: 47.70%. Tasted at home, $120 (bottle).

Colour: Luminescent amber.

Nose: Candied ginger, it really hits you straight away. Fresh pineapple and citrus notes, mainly limes.

Palate: Prickles on the front half of the palate. Lots of ginger (obviously), but also an intense combination of mixed spices, mainly cloves and cinnamon.

Finish: Sharp and tangy finish, a little sweet too. Reminds me of being a kid and you’ve just had too big a spoonful of lemon sherbet Wizz Fizz. Delightful.

Comments: This is a very unique proposition, unlike any other whisky I’ve tried before. It’s essentially a standard Starward Single Malt that has been extra matured for 3 months in a cask that contained barrel fermented alcoholic ginger beer…which the guys from New World Whisky Distillery using their trademark malted barley, fresh ginger and a blend of aromatics. It’s so complex and interesting that you almost could be forgiven thinking it wasn’t a single malt. I like it, but it’s not the kind of whisky that you would have more than a dram or two in a sitting. In any case, its supply is very limited so I want to stretch this bottle out as long as I can. A surprisingly different dram that’s for sure.

Whisky #373 – Starward Single Malt Wine Cask Edition I

June 27, 2015 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by Starward Single Malt Wine Cask Edition I, New World Whisky Distillery. Essendon, Victoria, Australia. ABV: 41%. Tasted at home, $80 (bottle).

Colour: Lustrous deep copper. Wow.

Nose: Turkish delight, smooth oak. It really does remind you of when you’re on a winery tour and you sneak off at the back and stick your nose into a wine barrel just to see what it smells like.

Palate: Quite light and smooth, the flavour sits on the mid palate. Creamy and fruity, like grabbing a handful of Allen’s strawberries and cream lollies.

Finish: Medium length, some salted toffee notes in the fade.

Comments: Fantastic to see the guys from New World Whisky Distillery releasing some new expressions to compliment their core Starward Single Malt, which itself is a top quality whisky and cracking value for money. I was fortunate to pick up this bottle from their cellar door in Essendon Fields in Melbourne, if you get a chance I’d recommend heading out there as they often have some interesting limited release project whiskies available to sample. Some innovative and high quality stuff happening with these boys, I look forward to future releases if this Starward Single Malt Wine Cask Edition I expression is anything to go by.

Cellar door tasting at New World Whisky Distillery

A few of the very interesting project whiskies available to taste at the cellar door

Whisky #172 – New World Whisky Distillery, Starward Single Malt Whisky

July 22, 2014 by Whisky a Day 1 Comment

by New World Whisky Distillery, Starward Single Malt. Essendon, Victoria, Australia. ABV: 43.00%. Tasted at home, $72 (bottle).

Colour: Deep amber, like an amber ale. It looks a little like a sherry-matured whisky (even though it’s not).

Nose: Toffee; almost some very subtle stewed meat aromas too.

Palate: A big dose of mixed spice, pepper and tingle at the front of the mouth announces the entrance of a very complex and enjoyable dram. Syrupy dried fruit flavours abound too.

Finish: Some sweet meaty flavours to conclude, plenty of oak and residual heat too. Long delicious fade.

Comments: Who would have thought a whisky produced in suburban Melbourne, Australia, could be so complex and stunning? It’s the best concoction to come out of Essendon since the Bombers started dabbling in peptides! Amazing value, love to support our Australian producers too – do yourself a favour and grab a bottle. You won’t be disappointed, in fact you’ll be very pleasantly surprised!

Whisky #146 – Bakery Hill Double Wood Single Malt

July 9, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by Bakery Hill Double Wood Single Malt (Barrel 0912). Victoria, Australia. ABV: 46.00%. Tasted at home, $120 (bottle).

Colour: Similar to my varnished oak port barrel.

Nose: Malty hay-like scents; vanilla and soft oak.

Palate: Buttery, some stronger oak coming through along with black pepper and some sweetness. Stronger depth of flavour than I was expecting from the nose.

Finish: Medium length for flavour, longer finish for the heat that builds initially. Leaves a tingle on the front half of the tongue long after the flavours have dissipated.

Comments: Single cask release. It’s pretty decent, but it’s somewhat of a contradiction. It’s the kind of dram that grows on you, but not on it’s own though. What I mean is that I found I really had to try and focus to get to know this whisky and reveal it’s character. It’s the kind of whisky that you could happily drink and be very satisfied, but if you were relaxing and a little preoccupied say talking to a friend while consuming, it might be difficult to recall or describe too many characters as they’re quite subtle. In saying that, despite the individual characters being quite subtle the overall qualities (especially the palate) are more robust.

Overall? A decent whisky, but maybe not at this price point. Like the outsider starting from box 8 at the Dapto dish-lickers, there’s probably better value found elsewhere.