Wine Cask

Starward was founded in 2007 by David Vitale, a craft brewer turned distiller who brought Australian whisky to Melbourne's attention. The Wine Cask is matured entirely in used Barossa Shiraz casks sourced directly from Australian wineries. Victoria's warm climate accelerates maturation, allowing the spirit to develop deeper colour and fuller flavour faster than whiskies made in cooler regions.

Matured in wine casks and distilled from locally sourced grains (barley, rice, and wheat), this single malt marries Australian wine terroir with whisky tradition. The nose shows dark stone fruit—plum, cherry, red apple—alongside caramel and honeyed sweetness. The palate is rich and rounded, with toffee and spice building toward a dry, warming finish with hints of brine and oak.