3.5/5 6th April 2023 (modified from @drrhcmadden on Distiller)
This Projects release is apparently an outrageously popular bottling, the first Starward not to feature red wine influences. This is a big change in direction for Starward; single malt whisky matured wholly in bourbon barrels. Specifically four barrels from Makers Mark and Wild Turkey have been working for four and a half Melbourne years, allowing the barrels to showcase Starwards spirit.
Nose: Soft, bright, and green. A little ethanol protrudes but there is an intense delivery of green banana, slightly sour pineapple, creamy vanilla-white chocolate, and acidic crisp apple. Maintains a good balance but perhaps overall the nose is a little muted.
Palate: Silky to creamy mouthfeel. Buttery beyond what I expected, caramel biscuit, gooseberry and grilled pineapple, toasted coconut, and a slight oily-nuttiness. The malt is quite subdued, but what is there under the barrel presence is like a buttery shortbread biscuit. As fresh and easy as this palate is there is a building peppery heat.
Finish: Medium. Vanilla cream and coconut with honey and a little demerara sugar.
Drinking this has reminded me of one of my favourite Australian distillers, Limeburners, and their American Oak release. This Starward Projects Bourbon Cask, like Limeburners AO, is approachable and appreciable as a refreshing, light, and easy pour. However, where this Starward loses ground is for the presence of underlying malt, or rather, the slight absence of it. Although there is a delicate shortbread buttery biscuit in here it is the barrels that are doing all the heavy lifting. More malt in the palate and finish would lift this to a higher level.
