Our original intent while in Melbourne was to visit Starward to enjoy some of their delicious whiskey (which is also exported to the U.S.). Unfortunately, the distilleries hours on Google did not align with the reality of the distillery, and instead ended up with the lovely folks at Patient Wolf (with their great Whiskey Barrel Aged Sloe Gin). While we didn’t get to the distillery, the folks at Dan Murphy’s (a local bottle shop nearby the distillery) were kind enough to pour us some of their whiskey. Among the more impressive offerings, was Starward Fortis Single Malt, an Australian whiskey matured in American Oak Red Wine Barrels and barreled at a higher than usual 50% A.B.V.
Starward Fortis Single Malt
- Batch: 3
- Age: Not Age Stated
- Proof: 100 (50% A.B.V.)
- Finishing: American Oak barrels previously containing Barossa Valley red wines.
- Price: $150 AUD
- Export Only
Sight: Solid mahogany
Smell: Beautiful vanilla, preserved raspberries, and jammy plums all waft out from the start. There’s a pretty biscuit like note, light brown sugar, and some delicate cinnamon and spice pastry that adds in. Little touches of orange and citrus with raisin round things out.
Sip: The palate is surprisingly rich, and gets ever so slightly prickly. The payoff though is enormous flavors. Bursting forth are fresh raspberries and plums wrapped in caramelized apricot turnover. There’s subtle spice here, with hints of oak and amazing nectarine and peach elements. Dark chocolate and subtle cigar finish the rich and dark notes in the palates.
Savor: The ending carries forward preserved apricot, light oak, spice, and a beautiful sort of lingering biscuit note. As it sits, more citrus, golden raisin, and fruit notes keep emerging.
Starward Fortis Single Malt is rich, luscious, and complex. The finishing imparts some lovely red wine flavors, but there’s a great underlying whisky here as well. The amazing and unpredictable stone fruits mixed with the dessert like pastry elements just keeps giving. Add in a ridiculous long finish, and there’s nothing not to love here. It’s simply splendid.
In Cocktails
In a highball apricot and dark chocolate flavors spread out with a nice oaky spice. The vanilla, a hint of smokiness, and a bit of walnut comes through. The result is that Starward Fortis Single Malt feels more delicate, sharing more of the cigar and dried fruit flavors. The result is a nice flavor, but one that feels less satisfying than in a neat pour.
In Review – Starward Fortis Single Malt
Starward Fortis Single Malt is delicious, delicate, and well rounded. The overall character shows that Starward is on the world stage for a reason, they make very good whiskey. While bourbon lovers might find this relatively tame, Scotch and Single Malt fans are going to find a ton to love here. Now the hard part about Fortis is that it’s only available to Australians (although they also have Single Barrel and Nova here in the U.S.). While it is very good, I can’t quite say that it’s so good you should bother to try to bring it into the country from one of the many international websites. If it does become available though, I recommend trying this one, as it is delicious.