Australian whisky has earned its place at the table. Not through volume or legacy, but through a stubborn commitment to doing things differently — and doing them well. The Starward Unexpeated 2017, bottled in 2021, is a single malt that sits squarely in that tradition of intelligent provocation. At 48% ABV and carrying a price tag of £95.95, it asks you to take Australian whisky seriously. Having spent time with this bottle, I believe it makes a compelling case.
The name itself is a quiet declaration of intent. 'Unexpeated' — a portmanteau that tells you exactly what you're getting into: peat influence where you wouldn't normally expect it, from a country not historically associated with smoke. This is a single malt that bridges the familiar and the foreign, taking a distinctly Australian spirit and threading it through a lens more commonly associated with Scottish island distilleries. It's a bold creative decision, and one that I think pays off more often than not.
At four years from distillation to bottling, this is a young whisky by any measure. But age statements — or the lack of them — tell only part of the story. Melbourne's climate is unforgiving to spirit in wood. The temperature swings accelerate maturation dramatically compared to a cool Highland warehouse, and the result is a whisky that carries more depth than its years on paper would suggest. The 48% bottling strength is a sensible choice: enough weight to carry the peat character without overwhelming what lies beneath.
What to Expect
Without confirmed tasting notes to hand, what I can speak to is the style. This is a whisky that sits at the intersection of New World ambition and Old World technique. The peat here is not the medicinal, iodine-heavy smoke of Islay. Expect something more restrained, more integrated — smoke as seasoning rather than the main course. The Australian single malt backbone should bring fruit-forward character and a certain brightness that distinguishes it from its Scottish counterparts. The interplay between these two elements — antipodean warmth and smoky complexity — is where the interest lies.
The Verdict
I'm giving the Starward Unexpeated 2017 a 7.8 out of 10. This is a whisky that knows what it wants to be and executes with confidence. It won't replace your favourite peated Scotch, nor is it trying to. What it offers is perspective — a reminder that good whisky-making is not bound by geography, and that peat smoke is a tool that skilled distillers anywhere in the world can wield with purpose. At just under a hundred pounds, it sits at a price point where you have a right to expect quality and character, and it delivers on both counts. It's the kind of bottle that rewards curiosity and punishes assumption, and I respect that enormously.
Best Served
Pour this neat at room temperature and give it ten minutes to open. If you find the peat assertive on first approach, a few drops of water will coax out the fruit and soften the smoke into something more conversational. A Highball with quality soda and a twist of grapefruit peel would also work beautifully here — the carbonation lifts the smoky notes and makes this an exceptional warm-weather dram. Avoid ice; you'll lose the nuance that makes this bottle worth the price of admission.
