Tasted #258: New World Projects Port Double Cask #1

Reminiscing about the spectacular Sydney whisky season last year, I remembered "Dramtacular" (aka dram spectacular), an event you may have seen the photos of over on our Facebook page.

David Vitale, founder of Starward Whisky / New World Whisky Distillery and friend of TimeForWhisky.com, along with Gee David, Brand Ambassador of Bruichladdich and Martin Lynch, Australasian Ambassador for Teeling Whisky co-hosted the Dramtacular event and presented key expressions from their portfolio, including the Teeling Single Grain and Small Batch expressions (see our post here for two other exciting Teelings released last year).

Right after the tasting session, I caught up with David (of Starward) and Jeremy (of the Whisky Room) about the Starward core expressions and their New World Projects range. It was then they mentioned the New World Projects Double Cask Release #1, which Jeremy had recently added to the Whisky Room collection.

This release from New World Whisky Distillery (NWWD) combines malt from two different tawny barrels - the first being a refill barrel, the second being a first-fill barrel. Being a fan of the Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban port finished malt, this was a particularly exciting release and one which I expected to (and did) thoroughly enjoy.

New World Projects Double Cask Release #1 (48.6% ABV, NAS, bottle #318 of 666 bottles, Victoria, Australia, $130AUD)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Another exciting release from NWWD that makes use of traditional tawny barrels. This release actually takes the malt from two different barrels and marry them together (as compared to previous releases where malt are taken from one barrel then into another). The result? A fun and delicious whisky that you can have on a beautiful spring day, or as a post-lunch dram. 

Colour: Light with a tinge of orange hue

Nose: The nose is filled with citrus, pineapple, loads of vanilla, almond shortbread and vanilla cheesecake. Delicious and enticing.

Palate: The palate begins with a layer of caramel that gradually develops into citrus and honey notes.

Finish: Long and fulfilling with a gentle ginger spice finish that over time dries out into a vanilla note.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 93/100.

Cheers,
Hendy

Starward / New World Whisky Distillery Tasting in Hong Kong (Tasted #234 - 238)

It's no secret here that we're big fans of Starward Whisky, from Melbourne's New World Whisky Distillery. Since that first time we sat down with then CEO and Founder David Vitale, and tried a sample soon after, we knew this was an exciting distillery - definitely one to watch.

Over the past few years we've become friends with David, catching up in various cities when travel plans aligned, and attending the various Oak Barrel tastings he's hosted in Sydney (first myself attending, now Hendy). So when David reached out recently to let me know he was coming to Hong Kong, and to ask if I was interested in arranging a small tasting for Hong Kong whisky folk, the answer was obviously going to be yes!

David was visiting Hong Kong for the HK Wine & Spirits Fair, and was kind enough to make time on a Friday night to share a few of his recent releases with a small group of friends and fellow whisky lovers.

The brilliant Tiffany's New York Whisky Bar were also kind enough to provide their venue and arrange an impeccable tasting setup - Glencairns, tasting mats, crystal water jugs, pipettes etc... all at quite short notice (thanks guys!) for what, it transpired, was Starward's first ever international tasting! Have to say I felt quite honoured to have arranged the first international tasting for what I'm positive will be a well-known international brand in a few years!

Up for tasting was a mixture of Starward's core lineup and a few of their "New World Projects" limited releases. Specifically, we tried:

• Starward Single Malt Australian whisky New Make Spirit
• Starward Single Malt Australian whisky (Solera)
• Starward Wine Cask Edition Single Malt Australian whisky
• New World Projects Port Double Cask Release #1
• New World Projects Starward Limited Edition for Vintage Cellars Release #1
• New World Projects "Project X" 3yo white whisky
• New World Projects Small Batch Seasonal Gin - Korenwijn

The night was relaxed and casual (reflecting the Starward style), with the first hour or so seeing everyone standing around, chatting, having a beer or wine, and hearing some of David's stories. Eventually though it was time to take our seats, and listen to the story of Starward.

David introduced us to his whisky by explaining that he wanted to do something different, something that hadn't been done before. Not just another Sullivan's Cove, if you will. David's goal was to "do for Australian whisky what Australian wine did previously" - i.e. put it on the world stage. 

Attendees were a mix of whisky fans and industry people (who also happened to be hardcore whisky fans) and David managed to pitch the content at just the right level - technical enough without delving too far into the depths of true whisky geekdom. David discussed the barrel regime (re-coopered 50, 100 and 200L casks, most of Australian Apera heritage), their recent 5,000L solera vat acquisition (used to provide consistency to the core single malt product) and the Australian laws surrounding whisky production, which includes the somewhat hilarious mandate that, as well as being at least 2 years fermented mash aged in wood, the product must also "taste like whisky".

One product that isn't a whisky, but was on tasting for us, was the new "Small Batch Seasonal Gin - Korenwijn", which David explained as an unaged, triple-distilled malted spirit, not dissimilar to Genever. Whilst I didn't take detailed tasting notes, it was a great gin, and made a fantastic Negroni when I made one at home a few days later.

David also provided an interesting insight into the world of spirits excise in Australia (long known as being very unfavourable to distillers), and made the interesting point that a tonne of barley earns the government $400AUD in taxes if sold as barley, but $40,000AUD in taxes if turned into whisky...

After those interesting insights, it was time to delve into the tasting...

Starward Single Malt Australian whisky (Solera) (43% ABV, NAS, Victoria, Australia, $82.99AUD)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Married in a 5,000L solera vat to ensure consistency from batch to batch.
Nose: Stone fruits and cherries. Some dried raisins and a hint of banana. Some vanilla. Some similarities with bourbon.
Palate: Fruity, and very smooth. More stone fruits, and apple especially.
Finish: Medium-length, Bourbon-like sweetness with some vanilla and caramel.
Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 92/100. I enjoyed this when I tried the very first batch (which I scored 90), and this just shows that the whisky has gotten even better since then.

Starward Wine Cask Edition Single Malt Australian whisky (41% ABV, NAS, Victoria, Australia, $80AUD)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Given the distillery's proximity to Barossa, New World are able to get ex-Barossa Shiraz barrels overnight and fill them when still "wet". David describes this as the "complex" sibling to the easier, more light-hearted and laid-back solera single malt.
Nose: Creamy, milk bottle lollies, some caramel and loads of rich red berries - strawberries and blueberries.
Palate: Hugely rich and full-bodied - lots of cherries and strawberries, and some rasbperries, which then shift to this drying, slightly tannic taste. Lots to explore and it's all delicious.
Finish: Medium to long, tannic with big red berries continuing to the end.
Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 92/100. Different to the solera expression and yet still very much a Starward. Grab a bottle of both - you won't be sorry.


New World Projects Project X 3yo white whisky (42.1% ABV, 3yo, Victoria, Australia,  $80AUD)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A three year old Australian single malt whisky that's clear as day?! Yep. Just don't ask David how and expect an answer (though we have a theory...)
Colour: Clear as day
Nose: Banana and pears, but also some oak!
Palate: Smooth - very confusing at first given it looks like a new make. Some toffee and some bananas.
Finish: Short with toffee notes to the end.
Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 89/100. Not overly complex, but smooth, unique and just very cool. Great in cocktails too.

New World Projects Port Double Cask Release #1 (48.6% ABV, NAS, Victoria, Australia, no longer available)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nose: Toffee and loads of Banoffee pie.
Palate: Smooth and rounded, with toffee notes but also quite a bit of citrus. Not dissimilar to a good, youthful Scotch from a good Speyside distillery.
Finish: Short and slightly drying, with some red berries.
Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 92/100.

New World Projects Starward Limited Edition for Vintage Cellars Release #1 (48% ABV, NAS, Victoria, Australia, No longer available but Release #2 is $134.99AUD)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aged in an ex-Pedro Ximenez (PX) cask - a departure from Starward's more commonly used Australian Apera barrels.
Nose: Similar toffee notes to the Port Double Cask, but with lots of Christmas cake notes too - Brazil nuts and glacé cherries.
Palate: Oh wow, this is a whisky you can sit on. Big rich chewy caramel and soft toffee notes. Lots of fruit. Slightly flinty. Definitely Sherried - raisins, nuts, even some mocha. Delicious.
Finish: Long, sherried and with a slight earthiness.
Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 93/100. Just excellent.

Whilst Starward isn't yet officially available in Hong Kong (well, outside of the collection in my apartment...) David plans to return next year, and we hope it won't be long before we see it being officially distributed here.

TimeforWhisky would like to thank David for giving up his time and whisky on a Friday night, and for giving Hong Kong a taste of Starward - hopefully a taste of things to come!

Cheers,
Martin.

This week in whisk(e)y #17

As you might know if you read this blog regularly, we get a fair few interesting press releases and news articles here at TimeforWhisky, and usually try to feature them with our own spin, experiences or comments. Sometimes though, they come thick and fast, and we just don't have time to do them all justice.

So we've decided to take a leaf out of some other excellent whisky blogs, and feature a "PR roundup" every now and then - basically a wrap-up of relevant press releases we've received in the previous week or so (including other interesting whisk(e)y news Steph & I think you might enjoy). So on with it then...


Ardbeg Day 2015 announced

If you only read one of these news bits, read this one. Ardbeg Day 2015 has been announced, to be held on 30th May 2015. Mark the date in your calendar, and if you lve in Sydney (and probably Melbourne), then you'll most definitely want to keep the date completely free.

Why? Because Ardbeg Day is usually one of, if not the best whisky event of the year in Australia (no word yet on if there'll be a Hong Kong one in 2015, but we hope so).

2013 was fantastic. 2014 possibly even better. Do you want to be the person who misses out on 2015?

(Trust me, you don't.)

Details will be posted here when available:
http://www.ardbeg.com/ardbeg/ardbeg-day-2015



New World Whisky Distillery Tours and Tastings
You may know New World Whisky Distillery from their Starward Australian single malt whisky, their brilliant single cask and one-off bottlings, or from our private tour back in Dec 2013. Either way, they're an incredibly exciting young (though now well-established) distillery doing some incredibly exciting things (ginger beer cask-finished whisky anyone), who don't seem to be slowing down the pace any time soon.

Since our tour, they've added a bar, and a series of formal tours/tastings, which can be found on their events page. While they've just run a whole bunch of tours throughout early Feb, they have an open day coming up on 28th February which is sure to be a cracker.

Do yourself a favour if you haven't, and get into this exciting distillery (literally, if you're in Melbourne and are free this coming Saturday).



The Glenrothes to release Vintage 1968 Exceptional Cask in Australia
It wasn't that long ago that we attended the Hong Kong launch of the 1969 Exceptional Cask, and now the 1968 vintage has been announced in Australia (previously only being available at Singapore duty free).

For those who like the geekier details:

"The Glenrothes Extraordinary Single Cask 1968 has been bottled from the contents of Cask #13507 – a second-fill hogshead cask, filled on 19th November 1968. It has yielded just 145 bottles at a natural strength of 41.9% ABV. The hallmarks of The Glenrothes are quality and purity, evident in the beautifully-balanced, elegant and well-mannered single malt with peerless texture, perfectly expressed by this single cask bottling. This expression is unchill filtered and, like all Glenrothes’ bottlings, of completely natural colour."

The Glenrothes Extraordinary Single Cask 1968 #13507 will be available in Australia from March 2015. Prices will start at "$10,000AUD and upwards" per bottle.



Highland Park "Odin" has arrived
Back in November we attended the Hong Kong launch of the Highland Park "Freya", and the next in the series has now been announced - none other than "Odin", joining "Freya", "Thor" and "Loki" to complete the Valhalla collection.

Odin weighs in at 55.8% ABV and, judging from the comments online, has been very well received.

No word on a HK release just yet, but we'll be sure to look into it and update this post with any details.



anCnoc 1975 Vintage released
Another new anCnoc release - this time a very well-aged 1975 release, bottled in 2014 (making it 38 or 39 years old in my books, depending on distillation/bottling dates).

To quote the press release:

"On February 1st 2015 anCnoc Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky will unveil its latest creation – anCnoc 1975 Vintage. Bottled late in 2014 this is the oldest expression ever released from Knockdhu Distillery and promises to be the ultimate treat for anCnoc fans and the most discerning whisky drinkers around the world.

The whisky comes from only three American oak and Spanish oak ex-sherry casks laid down in 1975. The release consists of 1590 bottles. The whisky comes in its most natural form, it has not been chill-filtered or coloured and is presented at the cask strength of 44.2% ABV.

The recommended retail price is £300. anCnoc 1975 Vintage will be available in several key markets around the world including the UK, USA, Russia and Canada.

In-keeping with anCnoc's ethos of 'Modern Tradition', the 1975 Vintage is presented in a simple, striking bottle and encased in an elegant black tube.

anCnoc Assistant Brand Manager Stephanie Bridge sheds light on where the new Vintage fits within anCnoc's recent string of acclaimed releases.

“The last 12 months have been a very ambitious and a very successful time for anCnoc. We unveiled the limited Peaty Collection to a global audience and launched two travel retail expressions as well as our popular 18 Year Old. The 1975 has been anticipated for a number of years, it’s distinctively anCnoc, a fantastic whisky and a superb addition to any whisky collection.""

Visit the world with LABEL 5 fans
In another example of whisky companies seeking to engage their audience in new and exciting ways (e.g. The Glenlivet's The Guardian's Chapter and Maker's Mark's ongoing excellent Ambassador program) LABEL 5 (which we tried back in November) recently asked their fans to film a 5 second video of their city, for inclusion in a "round the world" compilation produced by LABEL 5.

The compilation has now been completed, and can be found at: http://youtu.be/TNXhGn9QXZg


Cheers, 
- Martin.

Tasted #12: Starward Single Malt Whisky (Australia)

A few days ago I posted an article about my Coffee with David Vitale (CEO, New World Whisky Distillery), discussing his new "Starward" Australian single malt.

All the key details are in that post, but in short, this is a ~2.5year old Australian whisky distilled in Melbourne, near Essendon Airport. Different? Without a doubt. But how did it taste? In a word - surprising. In two words - surprisingly good!

Starward Malt Whisky (43% ABV, approximately 2.5 years old)

Nose: My first thought was "Bourbon"? David had mentioned I might notice some Bourbon hints (despite no Bourbon barrels being used in the production) and he wasn't wrong. Sweet and smooth, there isn't a hint of harshness on the nose. Figs and dried fruit are noticeable too.
(The colour is a rich amber - not overly dark, but dark enough considering the relative youth).

Palate: Less Bourbon than the nose, I got hints of toast, spice, and dried fruit. Still sweet, but not overly so. A dash of water toned down the dried fruit notes and really cranked up the spice. Smooth throughout, and extremely drinkable as an "everyday" whisky. I actually noticed a slight similarity to younger Glenfiddichs (e.g. 12yo).

Attention to detail - all the way down to

the cap on the media sample!

Finish: Youthful (as you might expect), but still no hints of being harsh or "unready". The finish isn't overly long, but doesn't feel cut short like say the Dalmore Cigar Malt (the Dalmore's short finish being purposeful). Dried fruits remain as does the spice, and slight hints of dryness.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 90/100

All up a very enjoyable dram, and something I could quite happily drink for any occasion. For $80, Starward should be considered excellent value in Australian whisky terms. I'll be buying a bottle.

Cheers, 

 - Martin.

A coffee with David Vitale (CEO and Founder, New World WhiskyDistillery)

Tradition. Heritage. History. These are things we often equate with the whiskies we drink - with many of the distilleries we enjoy being hundreds of years old (many older than Australia itself).

New World Whisky Distillery (aka Victoria Valley Distillery), producers of Starward Whisky do not have such history. Stemming from an idea in 2004, NWWD began operations in 2007 and filled their first barrel at the beginning of 2010. Being such a relatively young distillery, however, has afforded David Vitale (CEO and Founder) and his team the opportunity to do things their way, all with a view to create a whisky that is "just like the country it is made in - youthful, rich and bright".

Although distilling whisky in Melbourne (Starward is distilled just a stone's throw from Essendon Airport) actually dates back  to 1862, as a country we're not known for having a long history of whisky, a fact which has given NWWD the perfect opportunity to create a "modern whisky, unshackled from tradition".

David was in Sydney recently and was kind enough to meet over a coffee (it was 2pm and there was work to be done afterwards, hence no whisky!) at Shirt Bar. As well as generously offering me a 200mL bottling of Starward, David talked me through the company, product, philosophy and plans in extensive detail.

One point I was curious about was climate. We all know Tasmanian whisky is growing in popularity - but Tasmania's weather is much closer to Scotland's than the rest of Australia. How does Victoria fare (and Melbourne especially, known for "four seasons in one day") when it comes to whisky distilling? Interestingly, the Melbourne daily range can be up to 13degC - that's a lot for a cask to deal with! This is unsurprisingly where a lot of Starward's character comes from. By having such huge daily temperature variances, the casks expand and contract much more than they would in a colder climate, and that means more wood contact, and more flavour.

Walking me through the presentation, David skipped over the slide explaining the age of the whisky, and asked that I taste it first. I did later that night, and was incredibly surprised at how smooth and flavoursome the whisky was, considering it's 2.5 years old (the oldest being 2.75yrs). It's clearly youthful, but if I didn't know what it was, I'd never have guessed it was so young. Just goes to show - age isn't everything. Full tasting notes to be added soon.

Starward's flavour profile leans heavily towards the sweet, fruit end of the
spectrum, which plays a large part in its approachability.

I could write an essay on the wealth of information David walked me through (all of which I found fascinating as a big whisky geek), but in the interests of keeping this short and sweet, here are a few other interesting facts David offered:

• Small batch copper pot stills are used, and the whisky is aged almost exclusively in Apera (aka Australia Sherry) casks from McWilliams - in 50L (25%), 100L (50%) and 200L (25%) varieties.
• 100L Shiraz casks are being experimented with to further push the Australian angle
• As distilling isn't a terribly common Australian vocation, David found the necessary skills in brewers (who are also qualified scientists), who he describes as incredibly disciplined and well-placed to produce fine Australian whisky,
• Annual capacity is 80,000L of pure alcohol, and ~155,000L of finished product (27,500 packaged cases)
• NWWD currently don't perform any finishing, with the whisky aged in the same (mostly Apera) casks for their whole life. 
• The whisky is blind-tasted from 5 barrels each day (cut to 20%), with Famous Grouse used as the reference whisky.
• The whisky is available now both on and off-premise, and retails for $80AUD per bottle (which compares very favourably with the rest of the market, considering the average Australian whisky typically costs in the $120-$150 price bracket).

David and team will be running tastings throughout Australia (including an upcoming Sydney tasting at Button Bar). I can highly recommend going along and trying this fantastic new Australian whisky!

Cheers, 

 - Martin.