NEW YORK, N.Y.— Starward Australian Whisky is excited to introduce Starward Octave Barrels, a new distinctly Australian single malt whisky that celebrates the very best of whisky craftsmanship and Australian winemaking. Extending Starward’s progressive red wine barrel maturation practices, the Octave Barrels takes some of the world’s oldest Shiraz plantings from Australia’s oldest family-owned winery and takes these barrels to create a world first Single Estate Australian Whisky.
Octave Barrels, which was recently awarded a Double Gold medal at the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, captures the heart of Starward. It speaks to Australia’s wine heritage and the progressive barrel policy used to make all of Starward’s distinct red wine barrel-aged Australian whiskies from Nova to Two-Fold, and this truly special bottling. Bringing the bold flavors from Yalumba’s old vine Shiraz, Starward Octave Barrels is an intense, deliciously different whisky pushing the boundaries of what whisky can be. The distillery has had a special friendship with Yalumba that stretches back to its beginnings with Starward’s first batch of whisky aged almost exclusively in Yalumba wine barrels.
This is the first release in the US from Starward Projects, a program that encourages Starward’s distillers to experiment with different whiskies and barrels to create flavor forward and unique expressions, and this is yet another example of their craft. As there is no mold for Australian whisky, Starward has the freedom to make it their own way, learning from the Old World while embracing the flavor possibilities of the New World.
Starward Octave Barrels is matured in 100L octave-sized barrels that previously held Yalumba The Octavius, an iconic Shiraz wine and the world’s only red wine aged in these specialty sized barrels. Once The Octavius is bottled, freshly emptied barrels are sent to Starward’s Melbourne distillery and filled with Starward’s new make spirit that will become their signature single malt whisky. The smaller volume of these robust little vessels, handcrafted from American oak, creates more wood to whisky interaction compared to standard sized wine barrels, allowing this single malt whisky to soak up more of the celebrated characteristics of The Octavius Shiraz as it reaches full maturation.
Tasting Notes:
Color: Auburn
Nose: Rich, full bodied expression. Red fruit, raisins, ripe peach, caramel and toasty oak
Palate: Viscous and long, dark forest fruits, and a toasted oak backbone
Finish: Toasted marshmallow on the finish
“This is a story of provenance; our first real deep-dive into the world of red wine cask maturation started with Yalumba,” says Starward founder, David Vitale. “The generosity of the Yalumba winemakers and coopers to share their knowledge and give us access to these casks back in 2013 allowed me to fulfill my ambition of creating a distinctly Australian whisky that we now offer the world with pride. Of course, I am proud of all our limited releases, but this one holds a special place in my heart, and I’m so excited to share it with everyone.”
Yalumba is the only winery in the southern hemisphere to handcraft barrels in their own onsite cooperage. From oak selection to char, the Yalumba coopers have perfected the aroma, character and complexity each barrel brings to their wines. With Octave Barrels, Starward has gained this insight too and in turn has created a whisky even more delicious than the Melbourne-based distillery ever predicted.
Starward Octave Barrel presents at 48% ABV and is now available in limited quantities at select retailers nationwide and online in a 700mL bottle for SRP $79.99.
About Starward Australian Whisky
Starward was founded by David Vitale in 2007 in Melbourne, Australia and is a modern Australian whisky, elementally matured in Australian red wine barrels, pushing the boundaries of what whisky can be. The core ethos is built on the foundation of an approachable whisky fusing old and new. Old World – traditional product and stills; New World – maturation methods and attitude. The ingredients used to distill Starward are a day’s drive away from the Melbourne-based distillery. The red wine barrels that mature the whisky are built around a broad cross section of big Australian reds, with the keystone being 100L Barossa Shiraz barrels. Using a minimal intervention approach, the whisky gets the best flavor results, and the quick turnaround time between the barrels being disgorged at the winery and arriving at Starward means that the barrels retain much of their original character that is apparent in the flavor and texture of the whisky.
Since its Australian debut in 2016, Starward Nova has received numerous accolades, including most recently a historic win of 12 Double Gold and three Gold medals at the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, as well as a gold medal at the 2020 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and two gold medals at the 2016 San Francisco World Spirits Competition for both the “World’s Best Craft Distilled Whisky” and the “Best Australian Single Malt Whisky”. Starward was also named “Best Australian Whisky Innovator” from Icons of Whisky and crowned “Best Worldwide Whisky” at the 2020 Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition. In Fall 2021, the brand signed a deal as the Official Whisky Partner of The MICHELIN Guide in North America, further cementing its ethos of being a delicious and versatile whisky, crafted to pair well with food.
Starward currently has four expressions available in the United States: Nova Single Malt Whisky, Two-Fold Double Grain Whisky, Solera Single Malt Whisky and now Octave Barrels.
About Yalumba
Established in 1849, Yalumba is Australia’s oldest family-owned winery. Founded by Samuel Smith, the Hill-Smith family has been making premium wine in the heart of the Barossa for six generations. Yalumba is committed to making great wine with minimal intervention and preserving the natural environment and resources for the generations to come.
For More Information:
http://www.starward.com.au