The team at Starward has continued its innovation program, Starward Projects, with its latest release Dolce, a whisky matured in Australian red wine barrels and then finished in dessert wine barrels.
The Starward Projects is a program where distillers are able to experiment with different whiskies to help create unique expressions and the distillery says Dolce is unlike any whisky it has previously released.
Starward founder, David Vitale said: “The whisky is from our ‘playground’ of Starward projects. It was an experiment borne from some very interesting local barrels.
“Of course, regulations and rules mean we are creative with what we call these barrels – I just think this whisky is the embodiment of the Italian word for sweet; Dolce.”
This limited release was finished in barrels which held an Australian interpretation of a Sicilian dessert wine and as well as the signature wine and oak characters the whisky carries ‘Sicilian’ notes of marshmallow and cola.
Vitale added: “Coming from Sicilian origins myself, this is a whisky that is close to my heart, one that screamed right from the first tasting, ‘Try me’.
“The sweet aromas of marshmallow and cola meld perfectly with our trademark juicy and balancing stamp of red wine barrel maturation.”
Dolce is a limited release and is available now in 500ml bottles at $119 RRP.