Spirits · Melbourne, Victoria
Starward
Melbourne whisky matured in Australian red wine barrels.
- Founded
- 2007
- Founded by
- David Vitale
- Based in
- Melbourne, Victoria
Making it since
2007
Their story
Starward is a whisky distillery in Melbourne, Australia, started by David Vitale in 2007 as an experiment in making whisky in the middle of a city. His idea was to build a whisky that tasted of Australia rather than copying Scotland.
From 2015 the brand was backed by Distill Ventures, the Diageo-funded drinks accelerator, which helped it grow well beyond Australia. Vitale stepped back from running the company for a time.
In January 2026 Vitale bought the business outright, ending Diageo's stake and putting Starward back under founder control.
How it's made
Starward matures its whiskies in red wine barrels sourced from Australian wine regions, which gives them a fruity, approachable character. The range covers both single malt and double grain whiskies, aged in Melbourne's changeable climate.
Why we carry them
Starward is a good bottle for anyone curious about whisky beyond Scotland and Kentucky. The wine-barrel influence makes it friendly neat or in a highball.
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