Nose: Caramel, butterscotch, wine, floral and citrus notes. Some cherry and berry aromas. Palate: Sweet toffee arrival, as it develops the sweetness recedes and is balanced by a pleasantly soft but tannic dryness and some mild peppery-anise notes. Red fruits, grapes, plums – fruity but not overly winey. Finish: A medium finish – dry, fruity and nutty with a faint touch of spices. The nose is brighter than that of the solera expression. It also seems more balanced and textured with a dry rather than sweet profile. Like all Starward whiskies this is somewhere between bourbon and scotch in character. It takes you a little while to wrap your head around this. I'd suggest just pouring a dram and relaxing with it with no preconceptions or expectations. If you set out to compare it (or any Australian whisky) with scotch whisky or bourbon you'll be disappointed. You need to give it time to speak for itself. The relatively short maturation is entirely in Australian ex-shiraz barrels, and this imparts a robust and pleasantly dry character. It’s a more complex and interesting whisky than the solera expression and repays patient tasting. Good competent whisky. “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)