Starward Two-Fold Double Grain Whisky Review

Our second Australian Whisky review this week is the Starward Two-Fold Double Grain Whisky. To make this light and fruity dram they started with the same base whisky as the Starward Nova and blended it with a wheat whiskey. Both whiskeys were aged separately in Australian red wine barrels and then blended before bottling.

Starward Two-Fold Double Grain Whisky

Which begs the question… why are they holding out on us with the wheat whisky?!? I’d love to see that come out and I’m curious about how it tastes in direct comparison to the Nova. I’d love to better understand the component parts of this interesting whisky we’re about to dive into.

Starward Two-Fold Double Grain Whisky Review: Details and Tasting Notes

In Starward’s Words:

Lightly charred or steamed barrels. Sourced from Australian wineries that make great shiraz, cabernets and pinot noirs. Often filled fresh when the barrel is still wet with wine. We mature each whisky separately in Melbourne’s wildly varied climate, then deftly combine.

Starward Two-Fold Double Grain Whisky Details

Details (price, mash bill, cask type, ABV, etc.)

Region: Australia

Distiller: Starward
Blend: Single Malt + Wheat Whiskey
Cask: ex-Red Wine
Age: 3 Years+
ABV: 40%

Price: $65*

Tasting Notes

EYE
Amber

NOSE
Wine, dried apricots, honey, malty sweet, cocoa, vanilla and a bit of cotton candy and grain.

PALATE
Malt, cocoa, wine, dried apricots, honey, cinnamon, chalk, Smarties, grain and wood.

FINISH
Med -> Malty and candy sweet with a bit of spice and grain.

BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Ok balance, medium body and a light buttery feel.

Light and fresh and fruity with youthful hints of grain and spirit peeking through. A pleasant whiskey from an exciting Melbourne distillery.

Starward Two-Fold Double Grain Whisky Review: Overall and Score

Not bad, just a tad young and spirity. The Aroma is a touch raw and young but has a great velvety sweetness; Palate has the same raw graininess but a richer sweetness and carries only a light touch of raw spirit; Finish is soft, smooth and sweet. The grain notes start low but build as it opens.

Yeah, yeah I used the term smooth, but when it fits it fits. Like the Starward Nova, this holds a lot of promise. What we’re experiencing here is a great start, far too often distilleries enter the market with crap, but these guys are entering with something tangibly decent and drinkable. It could definitely benefit from longer aging to get more depth and integration, but it’s pleasant as it sits right now.

Someday I hope we get to try their whisky without the wine casks. The malty spirit they’re making is quite good, but I’d love to know what lies beneath, what the wine is covering up that an ex-bourbon cask wouldn’t. The Starward Two-Fold Double Grain Whisky is tasty, but I’d love to try a 5+ years ex-Bourbon version to really see what’s going on with their spirit.

SCORE: 3/5

*Disclosure: This whisky was graciously sent to me by the company for the purposes of this review. The views, opinions, and tasting notes are 100% my own.

Starward Two-Fold Double Grain Whisky Review