Starward 2017 Ex-Apple Brandy LMDW Antipodes Single Cask #9171

Twenty-one. Twenty-one Starward whiskies have now been poured into my glass. My word, this has been a wild ride. More on that below. First this last entry into the Starward Saga. La Maison du Whisky, established in 1956, is a high-end spirits distributor holding exclusive rights to over 250 brands globally and approximately 4000 individual products. Here, much like the last entry from The Oak Barrel in Sydney, is another Starward Exclusive. From what I can discern, this whisky is crafted from golden barley grown in Victoria, Australia, and distilled in Starward's copper stills. This is standard. I am uncertain if this saw time in Starward's red wine casks before being finished in brandy casks, or if it was fully matured in brandy casks. Apparently, some of the maturation took place in France? I don't know. And frankly, 21 deep; I don't really care. I want to drink other things. Barrel number 9171, filled in June 2017 and 228 bottles filled in April 2022 at 50% ABV. Shall we get this over with now? Nose: A vibrant and acidic presence leads with pillowy marshmallow, crisp apple, brioche, pear drops, and bright strawberry and stone fruit. Warming oak spice and an empty bag of liquorice allsorts. Palate: There's a lot to unpack here. Thick and luscious arrival with a hint of tannic burn. Thick, slightly sour apple drenched in warm brittle toffee with a vaguely smoky presence that must be from barrel toast. Sweetness and some gingery-chilli heat lift the palate and add some almost Turkish delight and blossom elements that layer delicate complexity. There's a clean vanilla ice-cream here too, sometimes, perhaps hidden by a little milk chocolate covered coffee bean. This is complex liquid, to be sure. Finish: Long. Slightly waxy, lots of orange blossom and floral presence, candied ginger, coconut, and the greasy oiliness of a walnut jar, and a lingering oak tannin that keeps things pleasantly dry. I thought I’d have a solid ‘good’ performance to match that. Or the apple bomb that was the Sticky Toffee Apple Starward (#205). I was wrong. Those bottles wish they were this. I just poured another Cognac cask Starward to double check, and that is a dumbed down, softened and creamy imitation of this. My word, I saved a good one until last. I don’t know what sorcery was performed here, but everything works so damn well. The nose is all kinds of refreshing and crisp. Summery and light, the nose manages to be sweet, rich, acidic, and fruity, yet still balanced with effective wood spice and the deftest liquorice. The palate comes in with unexpected lightness of flavors. The palate delivers big on flavor but in no way is it heavy-handed. This is like a rapier compared with a battle axe. The florals and light Middle Eastern influences of rosewater and blossoms are just magic. The finish, a simple extension of the palate with added oiliness. What surprises me here is that the self-proclaimed ‘tropical spirit’ style that Starward are so proud to boast is most evident in the two wood-smoked casks where they are detracting presences. But here, they are evident as stone fruit in the nose and coconut in the finish. They compliment the floral-heavy, delicate flavors and textures of this liquid wonderfully. Do I have faults here? Yes, I guess the palate has some elements (the chocolate softer notes) that could have been better developed, and at times the oak spice becomes a little too prominent. But this is easily up there as one of the top three standouts from the twenty-one Starwards I’ve sampled. So. Starward. A powerhouse of Australian whisky production that is still tiny on the global stage. A deal with the devil, so to speak, allows them to pump out big volume at what is a low price for Aussie sauce. Clearly, part of the money talk involved making profits. The easiest way to do that seems to be: make a core range, then peddle whatever you can as single barrel exclusives, projects, and small batches. Overall, twenty-one drams and I average out with a score of 3.3/5. That's better than good. But a closer look and that score has a big spread of 2-4.75. The top of the pack are easy picks; the two anniversary editions were just well-made and tasty, and the delicate Chardonnay and this Apple Brandy limited runs. The funny thing about those is; they don’t rely on the signature red wine style. That's a shame; the thing I find best about Starward isn’t the thing that Starward should be best at. For anyone wanting to try Starward, stick to the Solera; it's the least ostentatious, carefully made whisky that succeeds in being accessible, enjoyable, and reasonable middle-shelf value for money. The 10th and 15th Anniversary editions are suave, rich, and mature, and show what the Starward team are capable of when focused and single-minded. If you want to pay top dollar for something intriguing and interesting, then perhaps the delicacy of the Chardonnay cask or this Apple Brandy are worth a hunt, but I probably wouldn’t go hunting for these myself; the effort and cost versus payoff is just not there. Anyway, if you’ve been following along for the ride, thanks. I have some fun stuff lined up: Ardbegs, Spring Bays, and Taliskers. Oh for feck's sake; I didn’t do Starward Two Grain! [Pictured here with a metallic blue lump of bornite, a copper iron sulphide mineral. This lump is from Katanga in the Congo. That is all I care to say about this; Starward has left me dazed and confused, and I’m going to need a minute.] Starward running scores Nova: 3/5 Fortis: 3.25/5 Solera: 3.75/5 10th Anniversary: 4.25/5 Vitalis 15th Anniversary: 4.5/5 Whisky Club Exclusive, Maple Cask: 2/5 Whisky Club Exclusive, Cognac Cask: 3.5/5 Projects, Octave Barrels: 3.75/5 Projects, Dolce: 2.25/5 Projects, Bourbon Cask: 3.5/5 Projects, Tawny #2: 3.5/5 Projects, UnExpeated: 3.75/5 Projects, Peated: 2.75/5 Small Batch, Cherry Wood Smoked: 2/5 Small Batch, Mesquite Wood Smoked: 2/5 Small Batch, Hungarian Oak: 3/5 Small Batch, Sticky Toffee Apple: 3.25/5 Small Batch, Chardonnay: 4/5 Whisky Loot Single Barrel Single Malt Exclusive: 3.5/5 Smoke & Mirrors Single Cask Oak Barrel Exclusive: 3.75/5 Ex-Apple Brandy LMDW Antipodes Single Cask: 4.5/5 'Brandy' cask running scores: Port Charlotte CC:01 - 5/5 Starward Ex-Apple Brandy LMDW Single Cask: 4.5/5 Talisker X Parley Wilder Seas - 4.25/5 Arran Rare Batch 17 y/o Calvados - 3.75/5 Balvenie 16 French Oak Pineau Cask Finish - 3.5/5 Starward Cognac Cask - 3.5/5 Starward Small Batch, Sticky Toffee Apple - 3.25/5 Glenfiddich Orchard Experiment 2.75/5