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Celebrate 15 Years of Whisky Innovation with Vitalis
Vitalis is a limited edition whisky that commemorates Starward's 15th anniversary. A true encapsulation of our life in a bottle, Vitalis comprises of six, hand-selected whisky parcels that all hold a special piece in Starward's story. With notes of chocolate-coated pineapples, coffee beans and tropical fruits, you'll find Vitalis nestles perfectly next to your favourite home cooked meal or sipped neat on its own. However you prefer to celebrate, we're excited for you to raise a glass with us.


A whisky that celebrates our past and looks forward to new horizons
Vitalis represents Starward’s life and how we are looking to new horizons. Named after our Founder, David Vitale, Vitalis is a signpost of David's gumption to "bet the farm" in hopes of creating a modern and accessible whisky. This dedication led to the food-friendly and approachable whisky that Starward is known for today, which Vitalis celebrates with its unique liquid story.

104 Proof (ABV 52%)

THE DISTILLERY

ETHOS
Whisky for a curious, food-obsessed generation.

We're made in Melbourne. Not the outback. Melbourne is the foodie capital of Australia, where we ditch the airs and graces and focus on flavour instead.

That's why we use red wine barrels to mature our whisky. We source all our whisky ingredients from just a day's drive away. Then, in the wildly varied Melbourne weather, our whisky draws out its signature fruity, delicious flavour in just three short years. We call this elemental maturation and it's why we couldn't make our whisky anywhere else.

METHOD
Rules aren't our thing usually. But there are a few guiding principles we stick by.

The first is flavour.

We chose Australian malted barley, fermented with brewers' yeast for Nova and Solera because of the tropical fruit character it gives to our whisky. Then for Two-Fold, wheat's dry, aromatic character offered perfect balance.

The next is provenance.

We source every ingredient from just a day's drive away. By working closely with growers, winemakers, farmers, traders and maltsters we keep an eye on new varieties to make sure Starward produce is the best quality produce possible.

Then intervention.

We carefully select barrels from nearby wineries for a minimal intervention approach. As it's a quick turnaround between barrels being disgorged then filled with our whisky, barrels only need a quick cleansing blast of steam or light char before being filled with spirit.

MATURATION
Australian winemakers had the audacity to take on the old world of wine. So why couldn't we do the same with whisky?

Whiskies had used wine barrels as a starter or a finisher before. But no-one had clocked the packs-a-punch flavour you can extract from full wine barrel maturation. We felt it was time to go big, or go home.

We carefully select wine barrels that are soaked in flavour. Think bold, full-bodied Aussie reds like shiraz and cabernet for Two-Fold and Nova. Or rich fortified Apera for our Solera.

Then, Melbourne's weird and wonderful weather takes over. Blasts of arctic breeze from the south and harsh desert winds from the north have given our city a reputation for experiencing 'four seasons in a day'. The weather does incredible things to our whisky, as the fluctuating temperatures means our whisky interacts with the barrel at a much more rapid rate than it would in Scotland. It's also a lot drier here, which increases our whisky's ABV instead of decreasing it. This means the weather would ruin our drop if left for much longer (trust us, we tried).

 

 

MASTER DISTILLER

OUR FOUNDER
David Vitale is our founder and he started this mighty adventure with a simple vision; to create a uniquely Australian whisky we can offer the world with pride.

Growing up in Melbourne, in a big Italian family, he's always been food obsessed without ever getting too serious or formal about it. He wanted to make a whisky which feels right at home at those moments spent around the dinner table.

It seems obvious now that all the ingredients for a modern Australian whisky were close by. But, in 2007, when he first started, the idea of an approachable, affordable Australian whisky - served neat or as a cocktail with food - was a big leap of faith. David's early experimentation with Australian red wine and Apera barrels was him literally putting in all his (neutral) spirit into them. That's how something great starts, right?

TASTING NOTES

COLOUR \ Auburn

NOSE \ Chewy toffee, raisins, chocolate coated pineapples and cedar.

PALATE \ Big & viscous, rich dried fruits, red currant, and lightly roasted coffee beans.

FINISH \ Long & oily finish with a delicate balance of fruit and oak.

SHIPPING 

*SHIPPING NOTICE- If possible, please use a business address for shipping. All shipments require an adult signature which is much more reliable at a place of business.

All orders usually ship within 24-48 hours unless noted otherwise 

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