Overview
If the impending winter chill has you dreaming of cosy nights spent quaffing drams of whisky, there's a Melbourne-made creation that deserves a spot in your spirits collection. The team at the city's own Starward Whisky has just unveiled the latest edition of its Ginger Beer Cask series — and, as it has six times before, this spicy little number promises to keep those wintry blues at bay.
The seventh iteration of Starward's ginger-based program since 2014, 2022's offering isn't just about pairing ginger and whisky, as fine a combination as that is. Another winning duo gets a look-in as well: chocolate and orange.
So, expect to smell ginger, orange and dark chocolate while you're sipping — and to taste ginger, obviously, as well as vanilla, pineapple, sweet raisins and fig. For this year's version, Starward has also added more ginger for extra spice, and only used American Oak red wine barrels, which've helped ramped up the vanilla and coconut characters.
Starward's experts say you can try the whisky any way you please, but they particularly recommend sipping it straight, perhaps alongside some good-quality dark chocolate. Either way, it's safe to say you can expect a very good drop — 2021's drop won a Double Gold medal at the 2022 San Francisco World Spirit Competition, while 2020's Ginger Beer Cask edition took out a gold medal at the World Whisky Masters, plus a bronze at the Hong Kong International Wine and Spirits Competition.
The special-edition spirit is always quick to sell out, and this year's release is pegged to be no different. It's on sale now, so stocking up for winter ASAP is highly recommended.
Starward's Ginger Beer Cask #7 is on sale now via the distillery's website, and at national retailers. A 700-millilitre bottle will set you back $149.