Starward Small Batch Cherry Wood Smoked Malt

Released in late 2020 and long sold out, this was the inaugural bottling in Starward's Small Batch Specialty Malt Series, made using cherry wood to smoke the barley. Only available from the distillery door this 55% ABV liquid now sells for a ludicrous sum (AUD$399/500 ml) if you can find it; there were only 300 bottles made. I have been unable to track down any reliable information on the casks (although I found rumour of Apera), the barley, the smoking (beyond cherry wood), or if the Starward signature red wine influence has been felt. Instead we go in nearly completely blind. N: Surprisingly gentle smoke. Distinct wood smoke presence masks what may be a slight acetone undertone. Lightly perfumed in character with an emergent sweet and sour note from sour apple vinegar and juicy, sharp-pineapple. As this sits with me I am convincing myself of a nutty-coconut oiliness also; this may just be the ‘tropical spirit’ Starward always espouse but I seemingly struggle to fail to find every time. P: Oh thats odd. There is a very strange battle for my mouth taking place. The wood smoke is BBQ smoking chips; powerful and texturally like ash, with meat or brine; yes would be lovely. But there isn’t meatiness or brininess there is instead: all the sweetness. All of it. Big juicy fruit flavours of pineapple, banana, a spritz of fresh citrus (maybe grapefruit or lime?). This is liquid wood smoke flavouring shaken through a bottle of tropical soda. F: Short. Sweetness gives way to fairly bland wood smoke. Meh. Water does not do this any favours, it adds a grimy and curdled feeling to the dram that honestly makes me not want to finish what is left in the glass. It occurs to me that this nose is akin to Smokehead Rum Rebel, it also occurs to me that I do not care for this whisky. I have not had many wood smoked whiskies, I suspect the reason why they are not as common as peat smoked malts is simply because more often than not they are abominations. The nose here is pleasant enough, but I would recommend no one part with coin to experience it. The rest of the dram is figuratively (and near on literally) like being at an overly amateur hour coal fired BBQ where everyone is drenching you with supersoakers filled with cheap, sugary, off brand tropical fruit drink. I’m sure this sounds like a great afternoon out/dram to someone out there, but I’ll hard pass that invite. Distiller whisky taste #220 [Pictured here with a nugget of native copper. Copper is one of only four metals that occur naturally in native (pure) form in large amounts and so has found use with humans dating back thousands of years. During Roman times copper was mainly sourced from Cyprus and is the origin of coppers name and chemical symbol with ‘aes cuprum’ or ‘metal of Cyprus’ becoming cuprum, then Copper, Cu. This hunk though comes from Michigan and the Keweenaw Peninsula, home of the largest concentration of native copper in the world.] 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, 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