Starward 100 Proof
Reviewing an Australian Single Malt
Starward 100 proof is just like Prince. Or, the artist formerly known as Prince. It is a purple rain of delicious single malt from Melbourn. And just like Prince, we could say: Starward 100 proof, the dram formerly known as Fortis.
Because this dram had a rebranding. When I first had it, it was called Fortis. Now it is called 100 proof.
Same recipe, same casks, different name.
If you know Starward, you know they work with local wine barrels. And that they steam casks.
But those winecasks are sometimes European oak, sometimes American oak. Where European oak brings more tannins, American oak brings sweeter notes.
This expression by Starward in made in American oak red wine barrels. And it delivers.
I have had Starward on this blog before. Do you remember the Starward X Lagavulin?
And there will be more in the near future. Yes, a spoiler, but I simply already have the bottles.
Sweet, sweet fruits
So this dram delivers. It is bottled at 50% Vol. (Or as the name suggest 100 Proof?) And the color is insane.
By steaming the casks instead of toasting, the casks stay wet. And the first interaction with the wet wine cask wood is delivering flavours and most of all this deep, dark and rich red color.
On the nose it delivers a thick waft of vanilla mixed with strawberries from the forest and a bucket load of blackberries and blueberries. At the end some fresh plucked mint is popping up, making the whole nosing session fresh after the heavy fruit setting.
The first sip delivers cane sugar while the alcohol creeps up and while these two fight, some dried fruits mix with the juices of the berries. Like making a figs and blackberry puree.
The mouth feeling is thin, yet enough to spread the warm fruitiness over the tongue.
The finish is the red fruits slowly leaving and ending in some chilli flakes drowning in a scoop of honey.
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