Starward

Starward Whisky is crafted in Melbourne, Australia, maturing locally sourced grain in Australian red wine barrels from some of the country’s most acclaimed wine regions — Barossa Valley, Yarra Valley, and McLaren Vale. Melbourne’s dynamic climate accelerates aging, producing distinctive rich fruit character in a fraction of the time. Range: Two-Fold (double grain, malted barley and wheat, lighter and approachable), Nova (single malt, 100% malted barley, red fruit and oak), and limited releases.

Browse all whiskey and rare and allocated bottles at Wooden Cork.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does aging in Australian red wine barrels do to Starward that ex-bourbon or ex-Sherry casks wouldn’t?

Most of the world’s aged whisky is matured in ex-bourbon American white oak barrels or ex-Sherry Spanish oak butts — the established cask types with well-documented flavor profiles and abundant supply. Australian red wine barrels from Shiraz, Grenache, and Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant wines bring something materially different: the residual wine compounds saturating the wood are from a much more recent production tradition and from grapes with their own specific aromatic character. Barossa Valley Shiraz casks, for example, contribute the blackberry, plum, dark cherry, and subtle spiced chocolate character of Australian Shiraz itself — compounds that ex-bourbon and ex-Sherry casks simply don’t contain. The red wine contribution is fresh, fruit-forward, and more directly grapey than the dried fruit and nutty character that Oloroso Sherry imparts. Additionally, Australian wine barrels are typically active barrels still carrying significant wine flavors rather than the more neutral, twice-used vessels that large-volume Scotch production relies on. The result is a whisky where the red fruit character is distinctively prominent and distinctively Australian — tasting of a specific wine country’s barrel supply in a way that no cask-import program from Europe can replicate.

What is the practical difference between Starward Nova and Two-Fold and which is better for different drinkers?

Nova is a single malt — 100% malted barley — which means the grain character is richer, more complex, and more textured than a grain whisky base. Nova’s all-barley distillate interacts with the red wine barrels to produce a spirit where the malted grain’s natural sweetness and the barrel’s red fruit character are both prominent, producing a more intense and layered experience. Two-Fold is a double grain whisky — malted barley and wheat combined — which produces a lighter, cleaner, and more delicate base spirit than single malt. The wheat contribution to the distillate reduces the grain-forward intensity and produces a whisky that is softer, more approachable, and easier-drinking than Nova. For drinkers new to Starward or Australian whisky, Two-Fold is the more accessible entry point — it has the red wine barrel character without the assertiveness of Nova’s full single malt body. For drinkers who want the full expression of what Starward does at its most complete, Nova is the flagship expression.