Whisky: Starward 4 Year (2016) Cask 1843 for The Whisky Exchange

Country/Region: Australia/Victoria

ABV: 57%

Cask: First Fill Australian Apera Wine Barrel

Age: 4 Years (Distilled 2016, Bottled 2020)

Nose: Dried fruits with licorice and subtle leather, spirited prickle and pepper; more medicinal spices with hints of earth further in.

Palate: Medium-bodied and oily, dried fruits and pepper, apples and citrus, caramel, mellow waxiness, wood and herbs toward the end.

Finish: The finish was medium-length with dried fruit, lacquered wood, and subtle wax.

Score: 6

Mental Image: Candy Apple Stand on the Road to Samarkand

Narrative & Notes: Spicy and spirited; post-prickle, the aroma was mellow and muted with dried plums and dates, licorice and apple, mellow leather and leather polish, and cracked black peppers. More medicinal spices and woodsy aromatics brought to mind a Chinese medicine shop with dried earthy hints of mushroom. Medium-bodied and oily with dried dates, raisins, and plums accented by pepper and apples. A mellow waxiness developed with citrus rinds and caramel. More wood and subtle herbs developed toward the end. The finish was medium-length with dried fruit, lacquered wood, and subtle wax.

The muted and quiet nature of the aroma felt an odd match for the oily robustness on the palate. Like getting to know a new person, the whisky was initially reserved but gradually opened up. The mouthfeel was the real virtue here and elevated what was otherwise a slightly disappointing experience to something quite lovely. The finish was good, though a bit too woodsy at the end for my taste.

I tried this blind as part of our online whisky group’s 2023 advent calendar. I guessed it was a late-teen Clynelish with a sherry or wine cask maturation. Wow, I was wrong! It was a 4-year Starward for the Whisky Exchange! Well, I was right about the casking, at least, but far off on the age and origin.

Overall, lovely. There were some issues with this, especially on the nose, but I was impressed, and this was leagues above the other Starward I have tried. I was not as enthused when I returned to it a week later; it felt simpler on the palate with far heavier apple notes throughout— though at least some of the spirited pepper had quieted down.

Theme: End-of-Year Favorites

The theme this December 2023 is cleaning the house, and the reviews posted this month are either things I did not get a chance to slide into a theme week earlier this year, drams I have poured to celebrate the holidays and end of the school year, or as part of our online whisky group’s mystery dram advent calendar. These are posted in no particular order!