Melbourne, Australia’s Starward Whisky makes its dazzling official unveil in Singapore, complete with a refreshed product range and resplendent new packaging.
When Starward Whisky made an unofficial debut in Singapore in 2021, its timing couldn’t have been more challenging. Its attempted launch here coincided with the height of the global coronavirus pandemic when, for the most part, people couldn’t go out to drink. The brand literally had a snowflake’s chance in hell at that time to get the word out that its whiskies are now in town.
Things have changed since. And now Starward Whisky is back in Singapore with a vengeance.
For those unfamiliar with Starward Whisky, the Melbourne-based distiller first snuck into Australia’s whisky scene back in 2007. It was a humble beginning. In fact, founder David Vitale operated out of a defunct Qantas hanger when he first started. But Starward quickly grew, and in 2016 Vitale moved his distillery to Port Melbourne to triple his production capacity. That doubled yet again in 2020.
Then the pandemic hit.
By then Starward Whisky has garnered a cult following around the world, flying the flag for Australian craft whisky. And yes, winning plenty of accolades and awards along the way for its whiskies matured in red wine barrels from renowned winemaking regions such as nearby Yarra Valley in Victoria but also South Australia’s Barossa Valley.
But Starward used the pandemic period wisely. During those challenging years the brand tweaked its core product portfolio, worked special limited edition releases, as well as revamped its packaging for a more modern look.
“When I founded Starward, I had big ambitions for what this brand could be. I’m excited to unveil our brand-new look that brings to life everything we stand for – modern, innovative, and delicious,” shared David Vitale. “Our whisky is born out of red wine barrels, and so is the design for our new label. Inspired by the wine-soaked staves, the starburst lines of our new label represent looking into a wine barrel that we use to mature our whisky.”
“The label design communicates the unique story, and flavour, of each of our whiskies,” Vitale added.
Currently, six Starward whiskies are available in Singapore with four from its signature range, and two limited releases. They are:
- Starward Two Fold (700ml, S$75)
- Starward Nova (700ml, S$99)
- Starward Solera (700ml, S$125)
- Starward 100 Proof (700ml, S$135)
- Starward Lagavulin (700ml, S$198)
- Starward Vitalis (700ml, S$208)
The limited Starward Laguvulin release was first matured in red wine barrels for two-and-a-half years and then finished in ex-Lagavulin barrels for 18 months, while the Starward Vitalis – named after its founder David Vitale – celebrates fifteen years since the Australian whisky distillery’s founding.
“We are very excited to bring Starward Whisky to Singapore, to introduce a new world of innovation in whisky to Singapore’s dynamic drinking and dining scene,” said Alex Yong, founder of Malt & Wine Asia, the distributor for Starward in Singapore.
Starward Whisky is available online in Singapore at https://maltwineasia.com/brands/starward/.
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