Starward Stout Cask Finish Single Malt Australian Whisky
Starward Stout Cask Finish Single Malt Australian Whisky is a 104-proof (52% ABV) cask-strength single malt from Starward Distillery in Melbourne, Australia — matured in the distillery's signature red wine and apera barrels, then finished 18 months in ex-bourbon barrels that held Brick Lane Brewing's "Trilogy of Fear" imperial stout series, in a 700mL bottle. Released in June 2023 as a 3,500-bottle ballot exclusive in the Starward Projects series, it is bottled un-chill-filtered with no added coloring. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- Proof / ABV: 104 proof (52% ABV) — cask strength, un-chill-filtered, natural color
- Size: 700mL
- Age: No age statement — distilled 2018, bottled June 2023
- Finish: 18 months in ex-bourbon barrels from Brick Lane Brewing's "Trilogy of Fear" imperial stout series (after red wine + apera barrel maturation)
- Edition: Limited — 3,500 bottles, June 2023 Starward Projects ballot release
- Producer: Starward Distillery, Melbourne, Australia
When Stout Met Single Malt
Starward built its name on red wine barrels — Melbourne's wine culture in whisky form — and the Projects series is where the distillery experiments. For the Stout Cask Finish, Starward took whisky already matured in red wine and apera barrels and gave it 18 months in barrels that had held an imperial stout trilogy from local Brick Lane Brewing. The result, bottled at a full 52%, is where roasted malt meets tropical fruit: the stout barrels layer cacao, chocolate-malt biscuit, and a yeasty stout funk over Starward's fruit-forward house style. Only 3,500 bottles were released via ballot in June 2023. Discover the Starward collection and more international whisky at Del Mesa.
Tasting Notes
Per Starward's launch notes: the nose shows tropical fruit, vanilla, and chocolate-covered cookies; the palate brings banana ice cream, ripe plum, and cacao; the finish is malty chocolate. The brand's PR adds roasted characteristics blending with tropical fruit and vanilla, plus stone fruit and chocolate-malt biscuits. Independent reviewer Oz Whisky Review (84 points) found minty-peppery red fruit, gingerbread, mocha, marmalade, a yeasty bread-like stout funk, and a dry finish.
How to Enjoy
Neat, with a few drops of water to open the chocolate and tropical fruit at cask strength. It is a natural after a stout — pour it as the nightcap following the beer it was finished in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Starward Stout Cask really 104 proof?
Yes — it is bottled at cask strength, 52% ABV (104 proof), un-chill-filtered with no coloring. A couple of US listings showing 41% are stale feed data, not a different bottling.
How many bottles were made?
3,500, released in June 2023 through a ballot on Starward's website as part of the Projects series.
Is it a 5 year old whisky?
It carries no age statement — it was distilled in 2018 and bottled in June 2023, which some retailers describe as roughly five years old.
Buy Starward Stout Cask Finish Single Malt online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA — 3,500 bottles of imperial-stout-finished Australian whisky.