Starward Small Batch Chardonnay Cask

I'm continuing my focused tasting of Starward distillery with the Starward Small Batch Chardonnay. This is the seventh release in the Small Batch line, a single malt whisky matured in French Oak casks from the renowned Yarra Valley and Margaret River wine regions. Both fresh and charred barrels that previously held Chardonnay were used for this Starward spirit. From Starward's website: "While Starward's red wine barrel aging has always been fundamental to our award-winning whisky, we're thrilled to introduce Small Batch Chardonnay Cask, our very first whisky fully matured in white wine casks." Nose: Exhibits a light acidity and rich buttery notes. Peaches and toasted brioche are prominent, with a subtle hint of oak spice. Palate: Luxuriously creamy and full-bodied. This truly reflects Chardonnay: buttery oak, sharp gooseberry, and light peach/apricot flavors, along with a slightly woody caramel and white chocolate richness. Barrel spices include ground ginger, white pepper, and cinnamon. Finish: Lingering. Creamy with hints of vanilla butter, a slightly drying tannic sensation, and plenty of residual spice. Compared to a Tasmanian Chardonnay Cask I tasted (#195), this one made me eager for it. Chardonnay casks seem to be a successful choice for me. It tastes very similar to the Hobart Chardonnay. The only minor flaw is that the spice notes become a bit intense by the end. Otherwise, this is an elegant dram to savor and definitely worth trying. I've previously been unimpressed with Starward, and approached this tasting with some skepticism. However, I may have been mistaken. While I haven't tried Starward's core range yet, exploring their small batches and special projects has shown a potential for excellence. Although Starward's ambition is commendable, I believe they could benefit from a more focused approach, prioritizing great releases over releasing all their experimental batches. That said, I have three core range bottles to seek out and nine more projects/small batches to sample after I return from Europe in six weeks. [Pictured alongside another Starward celestial object. This piece of an octahedrite iron meteorite, originating from the Muonionalusta Meteorite, fell in northern Scandinavia between Sweden and Finland approximately 800,000 years ago. The meteorite itself formed during the Solar System's accretion around 4.6 billion years ago. The intricate pattern visible on these slices is known as the Widmanstätten Pattern, formed by long crystals of nickel-iron alloys.] Starward current scores: Fortis: 3.25/5 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 Small Batch, Hungarian Oak: 3/5 Small Batch, Sticky Toffee Apple: 3.25/5 Small Batch, Chardonnay: 4/5