The wandering storm bird. Said to be the souls of lost sailors, these roaming aeronauts glide endlessly over the vast and sometimes inhospitable Southern Ocean. Seen as an omen of both good luck and bad, these occasional visitors to our shores perfectly embody grace endurance and fragility.

Fully matured in Melbourne without a peat bog in sight, now thats UNEXPEATED.Youve never tried a Starward whisky like this before. Peated, smoky whisky barrels meet red-wine-barrel-aged single malt. Islay, Scotland melds with Melbourne, Australia. And old worlds and new worlds collide.We started with our signature red-wine-barrel-aged single malt, its flavour fruit-forward and juicy. Then we swerved from the expected. Heavily-peated whisky barrels direct from Islays finest distilleries would give our whisky a peat character never yet tasted in Starward.In each sip of Unexpeated, ripe red berries meet a coastal peat smoke. Sweet peat lingers in the aroma and lengthy finish.Pair with smoky dishes like trout or grilled eggplant for a flavour sensation. Sip alongside oysters or punchy Roquefort cheese.When you take tradition and make it your own, delicious things happen.

Tasting notes courtesy of Mark Nicholson Colour: Dark copper Nose: Caramel & raisins Palate: Lifted floral notes, caramel and dried fruit sweetness with some white pepper savory hints Finish: Delicious long and slightly dry finish which is indicative of some very fine old wood. A slightly smokey note that suggests peat but comes from the heavy cask charring.

Aged 4yrs in Sherry Barrels sourced from Frances wine region, Iron House 100% Tasmanian Single Malt Sherry Cask is a delicate and subtle whisky, with a slight aroma of sweetened candied nectar and a dried fruit spice on the nose, with an undertone of butter. This is followed by an extremely smooth palate with sweeten white wines, raisins, pink candy and citrus warmth with just a touch of oak.

Utilising centuries of knowledge and tradition, yet not restricted by it, Starward is the brainchild of David Vitale who set out to harness the very best of Australia's barley, barrels and climate to create the ultimate new world whisky. Years of experimentation, adjustment, trial and even more adjustment has created Starward, a whisky that will challenge your perceptions of what Whisky can be. Artisan Victorian barley is sourced to begin the bespoke process which ends up in aged Australian Apera casks that have been re-coopered, re-toasted and re-sized. All of which help create a Whisky of smoothness, sweetness and unparalleled complexity.

Former Springbank Master Distiller with Scotch Industry legend, Dr. Jim Swan kick off a new chapter in Morris's 160 year history. Founded in 1859 and best known for their award-winning fortified wines, Morris of Rutherglen are now making whisky. Given the company's access to high quality barrels, it makes sense. The family hasn't cut any corners since the inception of the project in 2016. Their dream team originally consisted of Master Distiller, John McDougall, a widely-respected whisky maker with experience at Balvenie, Laphroaig and Springbank. The late Dr Jim Swan, famous for his work with STR casks at Kavalan, Kilchoman et al, was also a key consultant and worked with McDougall on honing the barrel and toasting regimes. Currently, Darren Peck (ex-Diageo) is Head Distiller having worked under the tutelage of McDougall for the last five years. At the heart of the process is a restored hybrid copper pot and column still - none other than the original installed at Morris's in the early 1930s used for producing base spirits for fortified wines. High quality barley is sourced locally. Add a private cooperage and a warm/cool day/night maturation environment combined with reasonable sell prices and Morris are setting the standard high. The first releases include a 'Signature' label and a Muscat Barrel finished malt, initially matured in a combination of French and American oak x-wine barrels. Both entries were awarded gold medals at the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition (it should be noted that these were slightly higher abv variants for the US market). The recent SIP Awards in the US (May 2021) also recognised their quality, with the Signature being awarded Platinum, and the Muscat a Double Gold. For collectors, these first releases may carry some significance in years to come. For the Morris family, they mark a new chapter in a 160 year history. Tasting note: Deep topaz to brass gold. More expressive on the nose than the ‘Signature’ bottling, this adds some red berry wine character to the toasty malt, the aroma bearing a passing resemblance to lamingtons or berry tarts. Well managed wine input creates a film of sweet dried fruits over the barley, coating the mouth and extending the finish. Powdery tannins and a spicy flourish check the sugars. Rounds off with medjool dates and a mild gingery warmth. Stays with you. Nicely done. 46% Alc./Vol. Notes from the producers... COLOUR: Deep rich copper with reddish hues. NOSE: Rich with dates, figs and sweetness of dark molasses. PALATE: Well balanced and complex. Dried fig, sweet malt, vanilla and spices with creamy mouth feel. FINISH: Superb oak influence, lovely finish with satisfying after taste that lingers on the palate.

Co-created by one of Scotland’s most awarded Master Distillers, Jim McEwan, together with Cape Byron Distillery Co-founder and distiller Eddie Brook are two new Australian takes on a classic Scottish single malt. Many readers will already know of Jim McEwan who has more than fifty years of experience in the whisky business, having worked at Bowmore for 38 years, before overseeing the rebirth of Bruichladdich and most recently helping to get new Islay distillery, Ardnahoe, off the ground. Two editions are on offer: A Chardonnay barrelled limited edition, and this, the Cape Byron 'Original', aged in Scotland's traditional vessel of choice: American oak x-Bourbon casks. Says Brook, “They go together like a match made in heaven. [The whisky is] not overly dominated by the oak, it’s letting the spirit sing, and we’re seeing this marriage.” What partly accounts for the distinctive style is that the pair have resisted the temptation to use smaller barrels to ‘accelerate’ the ageing process. It's the opposite approach of most Australian distillers. “...We’ve got this climate that gives us faster maturation. Now that’s great, but it can also get too much, you can get too much tannin and then over-oaking in your whisky, ” Brook explains. "To avoid this, we only mature in full format barrels, between 200 to 300 litres in size". Specially designed warehousing facilities further offset Byron’s temperature extremes. According to McEwan, another factor is the distillery's proximity to the coast. “Walk down the barrel room... you’re getting that marine character and influence coming through" he says. "That moisture is falling on the oak staves, and slowly but surely, there’ll be a residue of salt and eventually as the whisky moves in and out, as the temperature increases, the alcohol will expand and it will touch the salt, and pull it back, and that brings a unique marine freshness to the spirit – quite different from anything else...” No surprise that McEwan reckons fans of Bruichladdich might taste some similarities in the Cape Byron spirit. “They’re not dissimilar. There’s no peat, [Eddie’s] using American oak, I used a lot of American oak Bourbon casks as well. I’ve used wine casks – and you’ve got all the wine casks there. There’s a similarity there between what I was doing in Islay and what Eddie’s doing here." As for the taste? Can't say there are many like this - either here or abroad - but you can appreciate why McEwen draws comparisons with Bruichladdich. Cape Byron's Original is a creamy, near voluptuous malt that defies its age. Peaches and cream come through with sweet barley and shortbread on the nose. The co-mingling of dried mango and juicy malt with the Bourbon vanilla aspects is nicely done, and there's a spicy edge adding vibrancy. At the finish, more peaches and cream, dried mango and a little grilled pineapple, pepper and coastal freshness develop. It's a whisky less about overt complexity, all about generous mouthfeel and precocious flavour. No doubt that equation will change over time. Right now, the creative forces behind the project have guaranteed one of the more compelling Aussie releases in recent years. Matured for three years in 200 litre ex-Buffalo Trace Bourbon casks. 47% Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered. Batch 001 tasted. Notes from the producers... The colour of a Byron Bay sunset. The palate offers soft vanilla, creme brulee and biscotti characters, layered over distinct notes of pear, coconut and buttery macadamia.

Archie Rose Single Malt Whisky is distinctly crafted to highlight six malts, each with a unique profile and character. This six-malt mash bill, although incredibly low yielding, provides a rich and expressive flavour, full of distinct regional character.Matured predominantly in 100, 200 and 300-litre Australian Apera (Sherry) casks, complemented by a selection of Ex-Bourbon and Archie Roses own 36-month air dried Ex-Rye Casks, each coopered with a specific balance of both char and toast.The natural sweetness of these casks complements the savoury charisma of the spirit, revealing fresh herbs, shortbread biscuits, raisins, toffee and dark chocolate on the nose. Meanwhile, the palate is luscious with well-integrated flavours of sticky date pudding and amaretto with a final note of espresso.

The finest Australian Botanicals create a mellow canvas for lovers of premium spirits, this Unique Spirit from Vantage capture the true spirit of the nation by using Australian lemon myrtle paired with Tasmanian mountain pepperberries and mandarin. It is one of the best aperitif or a versatile cocktail base.

This Australian Rum Tasting Set showcases the best of Aussie craft rum, featuring small-batch rums from far flung distilleries in north-western WA, south-western WA, rural NSW and the Adelaide Hills. An accompanying tasting booklet describes each distillery and their rums in intimate detail. Includes 6 x 30mL bottles; 1x 'Ord River Overproof' by Hoochery Distillery, 1x 'Dead Man's Drop' by Stone Pine Distillery, 1x 'Canefire' by Kimberley Rum Company, 1x 'Gunnery Spiced White Rum' by Adelaide Hills Distillery, 1x 'Bushtucker Spiced'' by Illegal Tender Rum Co and 1x '1866 Tumbulgum Rum' by Husk Distillery.