Starward Two-Fold Double Grain

Damn it. I didn’t want to be here, I was happy to never finish making notes on the core line up of Starward. I was exhausted by the end of twenty-one previous reviews. But, then someone went and bought me a bottle of this. Sigh. This is Two Fold, the ‘budget’ entry from Starward; 60% wheat, 40% malted barley, and two years in Australian red wine barrels. If you have a read of their marketing drivel you realise that Starward have no intention of this being drunk on its own. They want it mixed, drunk with food, diluted. Theres a chance this may not be too kind. N: A little thin and with rough edges of ethanol/acetone burn. Very fruity and sweet with notes of plum, cherry, dates and oily-nutty malt. It’s actually not a bad nose but its youth and rough edges wont let you just sit and smell. P: Juicy plump. Lots of clove and nutmeg roll around with vanilla-fudge and crunchy brown sugar. Bright with berries, peach, plum, and a little buttery-nuttiness. F: Medium. Slightly tannic brown sugar, cinnamon and black pepper, a somewhat watery strawberry. Ok. It’s not awful. It’s just fine, surprisingly. But, my word is this boring. There is the most generic fruitiness with a passing interest delivered by oak spice. But in no way would I suggest anyone should spend AUD$70 for a forgettable experience that is designed for mixing into cocktails. My potentially unkind comment then is: meh, whats the point? Distiller whisky taste #268 [Pictured here with a Serpentinite from Port Maquarrie on the East Coast of Australia. Serpentinite is a rock comprised of serpentine group minerals. Serpentinisation is a low-temperature metamorphic process that is typical in subduction zones and requires rocks of the upper mantle or oceanic crusts to be altered. These rocks are oxidised and hydrolysed with water into serpentine minerals. This serpentinite formed during subduction zone metamorphism that took place ~500 million years ago. Its not terribly exiting to look at, which seems fitting for this dram.] Starward running scores Two Fold: 2.5 Nova: 3/5 Fortis: 3.25/5 Solera: 3.75/5 10th Anniversary: 4.25/5 Vitalis 15th Anniversary: 4.5/5 Whisky Club Exclusive, Maple Cask: 2/5 Whisky Club Exclusive, Cognac Cask: 3.5/5 Projects, Octave Barrels: 3.75/5 Projects, Dolce: 2.25/5 Projects, Bourbon Cask: 3.5/5 Projects, Tawny #2: 3.5/5 Projects, UnExpeated: 3.75/5 Projects, Peated: 2.75/5 Small Batch, Cherry Wood Smoked: 2/5 Small Batch, Mesquite Wood Smoked: 2/5 Small Batch, Hungarian Oak: 3/5 Small Batch, Sticky Toffee Apple: 3.25/5 Small Batch, Chardonnay: 4/5 Whisky Loot Single Barrel Single Malt Exclusive: 3.5/5 Smoke & Mirrors Single Cask Oak Barrel Exclusive: 3.75/5 Ex-Apple Brandy LMDW Antipodes Single Cask: 4.5/5

Sweet wheat meets mild malt. A dusky note dominates at first. Given a few minutes, confectionary sugar, golden honey malted grains, a bit of apple, sweet almond blossoms, deep undertones of red currant, and a smidge of hazelnut spread confer sumptuousness to the nose. Quite sweet on the palate but not overwhelmingly so, balanced by just a little cola like spice. It’s somewhat reminiscent of blended Irish whiskey, but with a wine influence that hints of sherried scotch. Subtle caramelized red fruits, vanilla, and honey coat the tongue. It’s almost like crème brûlée with berry compote. It coats the glass as well, developing uniform legs with well defined teardrops slowly yet thinly, while having a slightly thicker mouthfeel. The finish is a bit short, berry forward, mildly dry, with fairly nutty tannins. It’s like a trail mix with raisins, dried cranberries, skin on almonds, hazelnuts, and a few bittersweet chocolate chips. Overall, approachable, interesting, and easy drinking. Nose: 9 Taste: 9 Body: 8 Finnish: 7

Finally finishing this off today. I oruginally saw it advertised on ReserveBar for a decent price, and since I’ve been wanting to try whiskeys from countries outside the US, I loved the idea of an Australian whiskey. The vertict is that it’s good. I’d say it’s slightly above average. The double grain certainly helps to balance this out. If you’re looking for a standard whiskey on the rocks, this is a good choice. It’s a bit sweet too, so it lemds itself well to cocktails. And you feel the alcohol warmth fairly quickly. The one problem might be that it melts ice faster than any drink I’ve ever seen, so it gets watery quick. To combat that, I recommend using a chilling ball or drinking it straight up— especially with one of those mountain-blown whiskey glasses you can throw in the freezer to chill.

Nose is classic wheated cherry note which then develops quickly to a Speyside-like honeyed green apple. Floral accents flitting up above. Taste is very sweet, honey, some cherry, some cinnamon, a decent amount of musty red wine barrel impact. Body is surprisingly not very thin, despite being only 40% abv. It's one of those whiskeys where you can distinctly taste every element in it. I don't think it's anything super amazing or complex but it's immensely easy to drink and approachable without any drop of trashiness. Plus, it's hard to beat this price point. I plan on keeping a bottle for myself and gifting bottles to whiskey newbie friends.

Despite having more wheat than malt, i feel the malt definitely overtakes the wheat. There is a rush of malty cereal, vanilla, toffee, walnuts and oak. Then comes some hay, more toffee and some tannins mingling withba sweeter red fruit notes. the finish is a bit spicy and hot especially for an 80 proof whisky. The finish is a long and like i said spicy, with a tannic fruit coming in. its solid fot the price i paid (26usd). i live weird mashbills and cask finishes and this has both. Good everyday sipper.

Amazing whisky, which I tried out of curiosity. Soft and sweet opening of strawberry candy and panna cotta, vanilla and toasted almonds. Beautiful, dark yellow / brownish colour. Surprisingly appetizing nose. Thick and solid mouthfeel, soft and juicy. Caramel, fudge, Dutch Speculaas herbs, sweet and creamy with a beer-like bit of drought to it. Soft tannins in the finish, with a splash of fruits, tasting like plums and ripe berries, fading with a smooth kick. Lovely balanced and very impressive.