Starward Small Batch Hungarian Oak

I suspect I'll be the only one commenting on this peculiar mixture... Starward stands as one of Australia's foremost whisky exporters globally. Their output includes some passable creations, and unfortunately, some regrettable ones they've given away for free (like the maple cask sampled earlier this year). This year, they even snagged the title of "most awarded distillery" at the SFWSC, earning eight double golds. But is their quality truly that high? Based on my prior experiences, I'm inclined to say no. Starward offers a 'small batch series' for exploring new, experimental expressions, such as the ginger beer cask and the ill-fated maple syrup cask. This is their third offering, the Hungarian Oak. Starward produced a limited run of 1200 bottles of this spirit, aged in ex-Hungarian oak red wine casks and charred Hungarian oak casks. The Hungarian Oak is a vatting of three barrels. Two were newly filled in January 2016 at the Essendon Fields distillery. The third barrel, filled in August 2017 at Port Melbourne, was transferred into charred Hungarian oak in 2019. It was married in August 2021, making it less than four years old. Not wanting to commit to a full bottle, I managed to acquire a 30 ml sample. Nose: Predominantly dry, woody notes, thick syrupy blackcurrant, strong aromas, and a plasticky vanilla that isn't exactly pleasant; thankfully, it's well concealed. A hint of banana. Perhaps some very generic baking spice. Frankly, it's rather uninspired. Palate: Oh, wow, it completely dries out your mouth. Ever licked chalk or clay? Your tongue would cling to it intensely. Once you swallow, your tongue and the roof of your mouth feel like they're being sucked into another dimension. Quite possibly the most astringent beverage I've ever encountered. Beyond that distraction, I detect mocha with a pleasing bittersweetness, toffee, nutmeg, and a robust roasted oak character. Blackcurrant and a touch of raisiny fruit. Finish: Medium-long. Dominated by pepper and oak tannins with a little vanilla toffee. It leads to further astringency. I added a generous splash of water. Given its 50% ABV and the drying nature of the palate, I felt water was justified. A wise decision. The nose didn't change much for me. However, the palate softened; the arid, moisture-stripping sensation (and your spirit) subsided, yielding a thick, creamy texture. If I didn't know better, I'd think this was some unusual wooded chardonnay. Slightly nutty, the mocha is less pronounced, banana makes an appearance, and the dark fruits have coalesced into a singular, generically lifting sweetness. I'm enjoying it now. If I could transform this into butter, I'd happily spread it on bread. The finish has shifted to a smooth, buttery toffee with less aggressive tannins. This was my initial experience with Hungarian Oak, and I was unsure what to anticipate. The initial high-proof impact on the palate wasn't to my liking. The spirit and the wood didn't harmonize well, in my opinion. However, with a significant addition of water, things began to improve. I've recently sampled a fair amount of French Oak, which is certainly the smoother and creamier counterpart to the roasty intensity that Hungarian wood imparts. It's very much a barrel-forward whisky. The red wine influence that Starward promotes as the primary characteristic unifying their products takes a backseat here, perhaps even third or fourth, as the oak is simply that dominant. With more careful integration, Starward might have produced a winner for me. Considering the double gold at SFWSC, I'm now completely baffled as to its significance. I'm awarding it an intriguing, average medal and a commendation for effort. [Shown here with a 1.7 billion-year-old Emerald Phlogopite Schist from Kagem's Fibolele mine in Zambia. No specific reason; I just had it out this evening, and it's quite attractive] Whisky tasting log #103