Starward Launches Octave Barrels Limited Edition
Starward Australian Whisky has announced the launch of Starward Octave Barrels in the US. Starward Octave Barrels is the distillery’s newest release in the US since 2019 and the latest release under Starward Projects, a program that encourages Starward’s distillers to experiment with different whiskies and barrels to create new, unique expressions.
Starward Octave Barrels is matured in 100L octave-sized barrels that previously held Yalumba The Octavius, an iconic Australian Shiraz and the world’s only red wine aged in these specialty sized barrels. Once The Octavius is bottled, the freshly emptied barrels are sent to Starward’s distillery and filled with Starward’s new make spirit. The smaller volume of the Octave barrels creates more wood to spirit interaction compared to standard sized wine barrels, allowing the single malt whisky to soak up more of the characteristics of The Octavius Shiraz during maturation.
Bottled at 48% ABV, Starward Octave Barrels is described as having aromas of “red fruit, raisins, ripe peach, caramel, and toasty oak.” The palate is “viscous and long,” with notes of “dark forest fruits and a toasted oak backbone.” It concludes with “toasted marshmallow” on the finish.
Starward Octave Barrels is now available in limited quantities at select retailers and starward.com for a suggested retail price of $79.99 for a 700 mL bottle.
Photo credit: Starward.
Source: Starward.