Starward Solera Single Malt

Solera, at last. Seventeen Starward reviews in, and I've finally reached their original bottling. Not much to introduce here… Australian malted barley; brewer’s yeast; Apera casks from McWilliams Winery on the NSW-VIC border, re-coopered, shaved, and charred in-house; and a traditional Solera process. Nose: Bright and acidic with some tannic undertones. Acidity from apples, followed by jammy mulled red fruits and plums. Tannic oak and a hint of nuttiness bordering on marzipan sweetness. With enough patience, a nice caramel might emerge. Palate: Rich, with a lovely toffee texture. Toasted oak is subtle and warm, with dark jam featuring figs, blackcurrant, and a slight floral lift. Milk chocolate and a touch of filter coffee carry a hint of burnt caramel with a whisper of clove and nutmeg, reminiscent of a custard tart overcooked. Finish: Medium. Juicy and bright with light mocha, more baking spice, and a hint of old oak shavings. This is likely the most understated dram I've encountered from Starward. It lacks the prestige of their small batch releases or the fanfare of their projects. This is simply locally sourced, carefully crafted, well-made whisky. The result is an enjoyable, approachable, and good value whisky that would be welcome on my shelf, except for one issue. Arran 'The Bodega' exists, costs AUD$19 less, and is considerably better. That said, if you're looking for a good introduction to Starward and a no-fuss, no-frills session whisky, I'd recommend this as a worthwhile pour. [Pictured with a fluorite-sphalerite combination from Chihuahua, Mexico. Sphalerite is a zinc sulfide and gets its name from the Greek word for treacherous, as it can be easily mistaken for other minerals. True to its deceptive nature, all you'll see here are lovely shades of purple from fluorite. Now go brush your teeth.. easy points for understanding that comment]. 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: /5 Small Batch, Hungarian Oak: 3/5 Small Batch, Sticky Toffee Apple: 3.25/5 Small Batch, Chardonnay: 4/5

Note - I'm participating in the Really Good Whisky Company Advent Calendar. I've also decided to pour these whiskeys "blind" (or as blind as I can), then provide nose, palate, and finish notes. I'll then look at the label, proof, cask type, etc. before writing my other notes. I'll be providing some guesses around things like proof and cask type and then seeing how much I missed the mark. Cheers! Nose: This is jumping out of the glass at me. Vanilla, banana, brown sugar. Solid oak presentation. Some underlying vegetal, herbal character. Also getting some stewed fruits with spices. Some s'mores character is showing up as this sits - especially the graham cracker. I feel like this is a combination of aged and young spirit - the oak character is also throwing me here. Almost like a strange blend of cask types? For as "loudly" as this presents, it's pretty approachable. No clue on age statement - going to randomly guess it's NAS since why not. Also no clue on region. Going to guess either all malt or malt and grain. Palate: A pleasant combo of bananas, vanilla, just the slightest orange blossom, and white sugar. Mint chocolate. The texture and sensations here are more consistent with oak than proof, so I'll hazard we're under 45%. Cinnamon graham crackers - almost a touch of doughy character. Bubblegum. Well integrated. Focused towards the back of the palate. Medium light mouthfeel. Finish: Mint, banana, and oak pop. Tannins wash over and this oak foundation appears. Orange, apple juice, cream, and slight floral/herbal character. A little bitterness helps balance things out, along with some tannin texture. Red hots show up, then as things drop off it trades punches with the vanilla, tannin, and banana. Medium length. Other notes: Surprised myself with this one! I love the idea of solera casks, and this reinforces why. I got proof, got close with mash, couldn't get region, and age doesn't count. This uses re-sized Apera casks, which are apparently similar to sherry. I enjoyed this - it's different but not an overly experimental adventure. The overall profile is approachable without being dull. The cask influence is excellent and the balance keeps this interesting. I'd gladly buy a bottle of this to have on hand. Cheers, folks!

Nose: Intense caramel and toffee aromas, butterscotch, honey, and a little vanilla. Palate: A sweet, hefty butterscotch, caramel, and mild spice arrival. As it develops, creamy sherry and oak flavors emerge, but they remain subtle. Some dried fruit tastes – figs, dates, etc. – appear in the background along with some nutmeg. Finish: The sherry and oak that surfaced mid-development carry on through to the end, which is well balanced. The nose is quite heavy and sweet. It bears a passing resemblance to bourbon but does not have the strong vanilla and fruitiness. It’s also not quite like a scotch malt either – it’s somewhere between the two. The barley used is brewer’s barley that is generally used for ale, and they employ both brewer’s and distiller’s yeasts. The maturation is period is short and intense (think 2-3 years of racking like a bourbon rather than long resting in a dunnage). Maturation is done entirely in re-toasted Australian apera (ie sherry) casks of varying sizes, and the contents are decanted from barrel to barrel in a solera-like process throughout the maturation cycle. A distillery relocated to the suburb of Port Melbourne a couple of years ago, and this coincided with several changes to the distillery equipment, including a new wash still. As their new make spirit is typically aged for 2-3 years this means that all whisky currently on retailer’s shelves (as at mid-2018) is from the old distillery stock. Later this year will be the roll-out of the first whisky distilled and matured at the new premises. There has been a slight change of distillery profile, from a rather caramel focused character (like this one I tasted) to a more fruity sherried style. I expect this latter style is the expression that will be getting a lot of exposure on international markets. A comfortable and enjoyable whisky, lacking in complexity but making up for it with heft and style. It reminds me a bit of some recent American craft malt whiskies. “Above Average”: 80/100 (3 stars)

Let me be honest about this dram; it wasn't what I anticipated. I hosted an all-sherried whiskies tasting event, and this was by far the least impressive dram of the night, though not a bad whisky overall. Starward is an Australian distillery located in Melbourne, known for maturing its whiskies in barrels that previously held various types of wine. This Solera expression is meant to be matured in a fortified wine cask using a Solera system; (it's sherry, but it can't legally be called 'sherry' as it doesn't originate from the Jerez region of Spain). Bottled at 43% ABV, with a tawny color. On the nose: Banana bread, brown sugar, ripe bananas, honeycomb, fresh apples, almonds; cereal cornflakes, honey candy, and cinnamon. It has a very 'Speyside' character. After the first sip, an artificial orange aroma emerges. Allowing it to breathe improves it, making it very fruity. After a second sip, the aroma is distinctly coffee with milk. A decent aroma. On the palate, it's not as good. Very standard. Sweet cinnamon, pepper, and oranges. A second sip reveals vanilla and milk chocolate. Coffee with milk again. Aftertaste is pleasant but lacks depth. Orange peel; oaky notes, coffee beans, pepper. Very sugary. Overall, this could be much better; I expected significantly more. It's more of an everyday dram than a rare, amazing whisky reserved for special occasions. A score of 82 out of 100 seems fair.

This is a Single Malt Whisky from David Vitale, the founder of New World Whisky Distillery in Melbourne, Australia. It is made with 100% Australian malted barley, fermented with brewer's yeast, and double-distilled. It is then aged exclusively in re-sized Apera casks using the solera aging method. It begins with an aroma of grain, wood, fruits, herbs, and spices. Its rich and fruity character develops notes of stewed prunes, Fig Newton, malted barley, and Sherry. It concludes with a warm and spicy finish of medium length, featuring notes of oak sawdust, cappuccino, chocolate cream, raw almonds, marzipan, cinnamon, nutmeg, and hints of English toffee and Crème brûlée. (December 2023)

The 'Solera' in the name suggests a sherry cask Solera system flavor profile, which is present despite the golden amber color, offering dry sherry fruit notes. Uniquely, I detected a 'fresh cut cucumber' note that briefly appeared on the aroma. The foundation is sweet, but distinct from bourbon's sugary taste. Beautiful floral notes enhance the whisky. The palate is smooth with flowing sherry and spicy oak notes that offer a fleeting tease rather than a lingering presence, with minimal bitterness. Overall, a beautiful whisky.