DrRHCMadden
Starward Peated Finish
Single Malt — Victoria, Australia
Reviewed
July 23, 2023 (edited January 12, 2024)
Peated Finish is the progression of Starwards original peat experiment; UnExpeated. Like UnExpeated, the Peated Project brings together new world whisky with traditional Islay peated casks. The main difference between this Peated and the UnExpeated is that this one spent more time in barrels (18 months vs 9 months) and a slightly lighter Starward blend was laid down. As with UnExpeated this release was also originally matured in Starwards signature red wine barrels. Overall, Starward were aiming for a deeper and smokier expression that better represented the provenance of the Islay barrels.
N: Curiosity strikes again! The nose is inviting, creamy, and soft. Charred juicy stone fruits (think apricot and peach), well balanced bitter chocolate, a hint of espresso, and a toasty barrel presence that leans towards toffee. Is there a malt presence here, maybe; if so its a whisper for me. The peat is subdued and slightly rubbery.
P: Slightly thin with a hint of a prickle. Smoke is a frontrunner, this smoke is woody and with an ashy presence. A very light malt presence carries with it peach iced tea, strawberry sweetness, bitter mocha, and some tannic oaks. Well balanced (I think), but a little lacklustre also.
F: Medium. Peat remains as a gentle rubbery to medicinal reminder of Islay, a refreshing juiciness comes from the back, and I just about find a preserved lemon note also. The oak comes across slightly like pencil shavings.
I was quite excited with this pour coming off the back of the intriguing UnExpeated. But, I am now a bit deflated. The nose whilst curious, mostly due to the contrast with its forerunner, just didn’t deliver the same oomph. The peat that was there felt artificial and too rubbery, losing the nice contrast of fresh and dark. The palate then took a sharp turn towards boring. The peat dries up to leave an ashy woody smoke with none of the salty-BBQ goodness that came from this pours younger brethren. The advertised tropical Starward spirit was more noticeable in the peach and strawberry but it just didn’t deliver the same level of experience as UnExpeated. The finish, the lemon touch was pleasant and well received but the oak had overstayed it’s welcome by this point.
Again, these are not Peated whiskies, Starward has taken the easier route to produce something certainly UnExpeated on the one had, but pedestrian and lack lustre on the other. If you want to try an Australian Peated whisky, I have to stand by one of my five stars; Limeburners Darkest Winter. Pricy, but in my mind, worth it. If you want to go Starward though, definitely go with UnExpeated not this one.
Distiller whisky taste #214
[Pictured here with the natural progression of lignite from peat; bituminous coal. Again, still not a proper peated whisky, so not a proper peat. But ramping up the peat barrel contact deserves a more evolved kind of coal. Bituminous coal with 60-80% carbon content and a high bitumen content is the result of progressive burial and compaction of lignite. This piece is ~290-354 million years old from the coal measures of Yorkshire, England]
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 #2: 3.5/5
Projects, UnExpeated: 3.75/5
Projects, Peated: 2.75/5
Small Batch, Hungarian Oak: 3/5
Small Batch, Sticky Toffee Apple: 3.25/5
Small Batch, Chardonnay: 4/5
149.99
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@Jose-Massu-Espinel they are an odd distillery that abandon good fundamentals to make “showy” lack lustre liquids. I think I’ve had >20 starwards, find my last one and look at my aggregate scores…. Definitely a love hate relationship.
@DrRHCMadden hahajaa it seems so. You did not like this one too much
@Jose-Massu-Espinel you were much more forgiving in your score than I was?
@ContemplativeFox and I’m not sure it’s going to get any better than that. Plenty more to come though. Chardonnay cask seems to agree with me, so good but if bias in there too! It’s almost like taste is entirely personal and subjective. Haha.
@DrRHCMadden Probably the Costwolds Peated review - it was a very fine whisky and example of cask-peating done well. I think there is still no maltster in Australia making peated barley, and the "Lark system" works OK but the prevailing feeling is that it produces a peat-smoke aroma and flavour that fades quickly.
I'm really surprised that a chardonnay cask is in first place. thanks for the breakdown :)
@cascode I thought you would have input here. I think I recently read a positive review of a peated cask finish from you? I understand the need for imputed peat, we don’t have much, and this is why I like Limeburners particularly, it has origins here in WA through and through. I was also reading about the difficulty in getting Aus malting a houses to want to smoke the malt, seems Bill Lark really paved the way for peating to take place here. Even still, it all seems to be imported peat, or imported peated malts getting used for us.
@DrRHCMadden My go-tos for Australian peated whisky are Black Gate (make sure it's a cask strength) and Hellyers Rd. Both use imported Scottish peated barley, and it shows. Addig smoke by using ex-peated whisky casks is very hit or miss for me, and I've had more duds than good ones.
@soonershrink sorry to have put a downer on it for you. Plenty more to come from though, so you might line up with me for one of them. Get some people together and go in on a group bottle purchase, I could well be incorrect and you’ll find this stuff to be enjoyable.
Bummer. I keep looking for a reason to buy a Starward, but it doesn’t look like this will be it. Thanks for the review!