Starward Unexpeated 2017 / Bot.2021 Single Malt Australian Whisky

James Okafor — Smoke without the peat punch

8/10

Really interesting concept here — using unpeated malt finished in smoky barrels gives you this gentle campfire quality without the Islay sledgehammer. At 48% it carries well neat, lots of tropical fruit underneath the smoke. Not cheap at nearly a hundred quid but it's genuinely unlike anything else on my shelf.

Aria Kim — Smoke without the peat punch

8/10

Really interesting concept here — using unpeated malt finished in smoky barrels gives you this gentle campfire quality without the Islay sledgehammer. At 48% it carries well neat, lots of tropical fruit underneath the smoke. Not cheap at nearly a hundred quid but it's genuinely unlike anything else on my shelf.

Elena Vasquez — Smoke without the peat punch

8/10

Really interesting concept here — using unpeated malt finished in smoky barrels gives you this gentle campfire quality without the Islay sledgehammer. At 48% it carries well neat, lots of tropical fruit underneath the smoke. Not cheap at nearly a hundred quid but it's genuinely unlike anything else on my shelf.

Carlos Mendez — Fun experiment, decent whisky

7/10

The smoke element is more suggestion than statement, which I actually appreciate — it lets the malt character come through. Had it on a single ice cube and it opened up nicely with some honey and baking spice notes. Good but I'd want to try it side by side with their standard offerings before buying another bottle.

Aiko Tanaka — Fun experiment, decent whisky

7/10

The smoke element is more suggestion than statement, which I actually appreciate — it lets the malt character come through. Had it on a single ice cube and it opened up nicely with some honey and baking spice notes. Good but I'd want to try it side by side with their standard offerings before buying another bottle.

Ryan Mitchell — Fun experiment, decent whisky

7/10

The smoke element is more suggestion than statement, which I actually appreciate — it lets the malt character come through. Had it on a single ice cube and it opened up nicely with some honey and baking spice notes. Good but I'd want to try it side by side with their standard offerings before buying another bottle.

Jason Steel — Solid but not a repeat buy at this price

7/10

Picked this up out of curiosity about Australian whisky and it's perfectly decent. Nice interplay between dried fruit and a wispy smokiness, drinks smooth for 48%. That said, £96 is steep for what it is — I can name Scottish single malts that offer more complexity for less.

Penelope Hart — Solid but not a repeat buy at this price

7/10

Picked this up out of curiosity about Australian whisky and it's perfectly decent. Nice interplay between dried fruit and a wispy smokiness, drinks smooth for 48%. That said, £96 is steep for what it is — I can name Scottish single malts that offer more complexity for less.

Alex Ramos — Solid but not a repeat buy at this price

7/10

Picked this up out of curiosity about Australian whisky and it's perfectly decent. Nice interplay between dried fruit and a wispy smokiness, drinks smooth for 48%. That said, £96 is steep for what it is — I can name Scottish single malts that offer more complexity for less.

Idris Ibrahim — This one surprised me

9/10

Wasn't expecting much from an Aussie single malt but the Unexpeated absolutely won me over. There's this lovely balance of red berries, vanilla, and a subtle smoke that creeps in on the finish. I've been sipping it neat after dinner all week and the bottle's already half gone.

Marcus Chen — This one surprised me

9/10

Wasn't expecting much from an Aussie single malt but the Unexpeated absolutely won me over. There's this lovely balance of red berries, vanilla, and a subtle smoke that creeps in on the finish. I've been sipping it neat after dinner all week and the bottle's already half gone.

Rosa Paredes — This one surprised me

9/10

Wasn't expecting much from an Aussie single malt but the Unexpeated absolutely won me over. There's this lovely balance of red berries, vanilla, and a subtle smoke that creeps in on the finish. I've been sipping it neat after dinner all week and the bottle's already half gone.