Back in Australia I am picking up where I left off, continuing with the exploration of a dizzying array of Australian liquid from Starward. When I left things I was starting to see promise amongst the many, many releases. The core element (acknowledging I’m yet to sample all the core range) in Starward is a rich and often thick red wine influence that leads to something commonly generic, but; with the right finishing barrels, can develop into something really interesting (like in the octave or chardonnay barrels). Very keen to see where things go now; nine more specials and three core ranges. Sorry if you all get bored. The Tawny #1 was a limited release and sold out in record time. Like Tawny #1, #2 was fully matured in Tawny (read: port) casks (both fresh and charred). The Starward distillers then threw in some puncheon and hogshead barrels apparently in an attempt to showcase the vibrant tropical notes from the spirit profile. N: Thick, dark, and rich. Raisin, plum, caramel-dates, orange peel, a little leather and a warm toasty oak. P: Medium body with a little oily stickiness. The nose delivers what was promised but with a building sweet presence from sticky caramel that moves towards burnt caramel or dark brown sugar with a hint of vanilla. Spices build through the profile offering nutmeg and cinnamon. Bitterness from cocoa adds a little depth and balance and doesn’t quite cross into the territory of leather. F: Medium. A hint of brightness from what feels like cold water with apple and strawberry slices in it is quickly overlain by light toasted oak, light caramel, a smidge of vanilla, and a drying spice mix that adds a dash of black pepper to the mix. What opened with a fairly standard port cask nose was as expected, the palate added a little more intrigue with the, still expected, notes of bitterness from cocoa. This is all well and good and fine, and to be honest, no better or worse than would be expected of middle shelf port casks. Where things took a turn for the interesting and really enjoyable was the finish. The finish, if you look for it, has refreshingly bright acidity from a crisp apple presence and a juicy strawberry. My assumption is that this must be the ‘vibrancy’ of the spirit that the distillers were seeking to showcase, I wouldn’t call them tropical, but they are a welcome addition to a perfectly acceptable dram. That said, for AUD$48 less I can get the 50% Arran Port Cask; thats not fair competition really. Distiller whisky taste #212 [Pictured here with another shooting star for Starward, and picking up exactly where I left off. This is a second slice of a fine octahedrite iron-meteorite has been cut from the Muonionalusta Meteorite. The meteorite fell in northern Scandinavia between Sweden and Finland some 800,000 years ago with the meteorite itself formed during the accretion of our Solar System ~4.6 billion years ago. The intricate pattern seen on these slices is called Widmanstätten Pattern, a complex mineral structure created by long crystals of nickel-iron alloys.] Starward running 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 Projects, Tawny Batch #2: 3.5/5 Small Batch, Hungarian Oak: 3/5 Small Batch, Sticky Toffee Apple: 3.25/5 Small Batch, Chardonnay: 4/5