Starward Australian Whisky’s most recent spirit was produced after numerous return journeys to Scotland’s western ‘Whisky Coast. By: Regan Stephens Published: Apr 21, 2024 04:00 PM SGT The Lagavulin Distillery|Image credit: Starward Australian Whisky The Melbourne-based Starward’s newest expression is aged in barrels from Lagavulin, the 200-year-old Scottish distillery understood for its peated whisky. When David Vitale remained in the middle of dialling in the flavour profile of his nascent whisky brand name, he deliberately kept away from Scotland. The creator of Starward Australian Whisky had actually long been influenced by the unique, peated flavour of Scotch whisky, however didn’t desire it to affect his own spirit. This Australian whisky was produced after numerous return journeys to Scotland’s ‘Whisky Coast’. “I’m a helpless romantic,” Vitale informed Travel + Leisure. “So I ‘d get involved that world and attempt to mimic it, which would be a failure of the brand name’s aspiration.” That aspiration? To make a clearly Australian whisky, one rooted in his home city. “The finest whiskies not just show their active ingredients however likewise the culture of the location they’re made,” Vitale stated. “Starward is my love letter to Melbourne.” Vitale did discover the flavour that effectively recorded the essence of Melbourne, the multicultural city on Australia’s southeastern coast and home to among the nation’s most interesting cooking scenes. Just then did he and his group see Scotland, visiting more than a lots distilleries that invited and motivated the new Australian distillery. Almost 20 years after very first starting, and numerous return journeys to Scotland’s western “Whisky Coast” later on, Starward has actually coordinated with the 200-plus-year-old Lagavulin Distillery to make the limited-release Starward Single Malt Australian Whisky Finished in ex-Lagavulin Barrels. “You take a trip vicariously with whisky,” stated Vitale. This first-of-its-kind spirit, then, will carry drinkers to both the picturesque green Scottish island of Islay and the vibrant and dynamic city of Melbourne. A bottle of Starward Australian Whiskey and barrels at Lagavulin Distillery|Image credit: Starward Australian Whisky Starward’s initial whiskies– consisting of the acclaimed double grain Two-Fold, the signature single malt Nova, and Solera, the brand name’s very first whisky– “offer individuals a chance to live that Melbourne life vicariously,” stated Vitale. The spirit gets its strong local color thanks to how it’s made, he stated, through a “extremely Australian lens.” From a component viewpoint, they utilize barley and wheat grown within a day’s drive of the distillery. The whisky is aged in ex-shiraz, pinot noir, and cabernet barrels they source from wineries in the neighboring Yarra Valley and Barossa Valley– 2 of Australia’s well-known red wine areas– providing the liquid a reddish shade and imparting subtle tannins and notes of ripe red fruits. Associated Stories Melbourne’s environment likewise contributes in the ended up item. Located in between 2 deserts, stated Vitale, the Outback to the north, and Antarctica to the south, significant weather condition shifts “suggest that our barrels are striving all the time,” he kept in mind, describing how wood broadens and contracts when the temperature level modifications. “We could not make this whisky from a procedure viewpoint anywhere else in Australia, not to mentioned the world, and have the exact same item.” A glass of Starward Australian Whiskey|Image credit: Starward Australian Whisky Dating back to 1816, Lagavulin has actually been making its remarkable spirit for over 2 centuries. And although “geographically, you could not discover 2 more contrasting locations,” stated Vitale, the 2 distilleries share some resemblances, which motivated the collective expression. Similar to Starward ageing its whisky in ex-red red wine barrels, Lagavulin ages a few of its whisky in ex-fortified white wine barrels from Spain. Throughout one check out to Islay, Sam Slaney, Starward’s production director, kept in mind that Lagavulin whisky is affected by the island’s landscape and environment. “We’ve got these 2 worlds currently communicating with each other,” Vitale stated. “What about if we take it the other method and age our whisky in peated barrels from Scotland?” Merging the 2 unique flavours together in a manner that hasn’t been done in the past, “holds true development,” Vitale stated. The spirit is made with Starward’s single malt, aged in Australian red white wine barrels for 3 years before it’s moved to Lagavulin peated Scotch whisky barrels, where it absorbs the essence of the rugged Islay coast for the next 18 months. The outcome has Starward’s signature notes of red berries and tropical fruits like banana and pineapple, plus, thanks to the Lagavulin barrels, the abundant flavours of smoke and peat. “The smoke produces more contrast for all of the flavours to type of turn up and be readily available for you to taste,” Vitale stated. “And that’s interesting.” store the very best travel experiences here (Feature Image Credit: Starward Australian Whisky) This story initially appeared on travelandleisure.com Related: All About Ardbeg 25 Years Old That’s Been Crowned The World’s Best Scotch Whisky Written By Regan Stephens
A New Australian Whisky Evokes The Spirit Of Melbourne And Islay – Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia
