Starward Lagavulin Cask Finish Single Malt Australian Whisky
Starward Lagavulin Cask Finish Single Malt Australian Whisky is the first-ever collaboration between Melbourne's Starward Distillery and Islay's Lagavulin: Starward's signature red-wine-barrel-matured single malt, finished for 18 months in ex-Lagavulin peated Scotch casks. Bottled at 48% ABV, non-chill filtered with natural colour, it's a limited run of just 2,000 bottles — and it took Bronze at the 2025 World Whiskies Awards. It's available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 48% (96 proof) — verify the 48% standard release off the bottle
- Size: 700mL
- Maturation: red wine barrels, then 18 months in ex-Lagavulin peated casks; NAS
- Origin: Starward Distillery, Melbourne, Australia × Lagavulin, Islay, Scotland
- Production: 100% malted barley, non-chill filtered, natural colour; 2,000 bottles
Two Distilleries, One First
Starward matures its whisky through Melbourne's "four seasons in a day" climate in red wine barrels — tropical, fruit-driven whisky. For this release, those barrels went to Islay: finished in casks that held Lagavulin's famously peaty Scotch, the whisky picks up maritime smoke layered over Starward's tropical fruit. Debuted in late 2023, it remains a limited-quantity collaboration. Explore the store's Starward shelf or browse more world whisky.
Tasting Notes
Nose — nectarine, a hint of peat, pineapple, a hint of iodine. Palate — initially very tropical: roasted and grilled pineapple, black tea, a hint of salt. Finish — drying ash, then tropical fruits, a hint of oak (official notes; press adds charred pineapple, jammy red berries, maritime salinity, earthy peat, ashy bonfire smoke).
How to Enjoy
Neat in a Glencairn to get the full peat-to-pineapple arc. A splash of water softens the smoke and brings the tropical fruit forward — worth trying both ways.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Starward Lagavulin Cask Finish peated?
Lightly — the peat comes from the 18-month finish in ex-Lagavulin casks, not from peated barley, so it reads as ashy maritime smoke over tropical fruit rather than a full Islay peat blast.
How many bottles were made?
2,000 bottles, per the release announcement — a genuinely limited collaboration.
What award did it win?
Bronze at the World Whiskies Awards 2025 (48% ABV, no age statement category).
Islay smoke meets Melbourne fruit — get Starward Lagavulin Cask Finish delivered from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.