Reach for the stars: Starward launches colourful packaging range to put ‘modern’ Australian whiskey on the map
Whiskey is considered one of the oldest and more traditional liquors in the market, with variants such as Scotch whiskey and bourbon generally prized as being more valuable with age.
Modern whiskey places less value on age and more on ingredient quality, flavours and provenance. Some successful brands in this sector include Taiwan’s Kavalan and India’s Amrut – and Australian distillery Starward believes that it is time for Australia to be put on the map as well.
“Being a modern Australian whiskey very much means that we are definitely not trying to recreate Scotch whiskey and are focused on the Australian story instead,” Starward Commercial Director Scott English told FoodNavigator-Asia.
“We use local Australian barley to make our whiskey and mature this in Australian wine barrels, which is very rare for whiskey – It’s worked out great and sourcing has never been an issue given how much red wine Australia produces.
“Using the wine barrels to mature gives the whiskey very distinct flavours depending on the casks used, and we use casks that used to hold a variety of wines such as Shiraz, Cabernet and brut from vineyards in well-known wine producing areas like Yarra and Mclaren.”
One of Starward’s strategies to stand out on shelves is its packaging, involving the use of brightly coloured labels and bottle caps to ensure the whiskies will not be mistaken as traditional items.
“Novelisation is very important to us as we have found that this bright packaging and the story carries very strong appeal for younger, more dynamic consumers who tend to be more open-minded about their drinking,” he said.
“Our product Two-Fold, which is a mix of 60% wheat-based whiskey and 40% single-malt whiskey, has done really well based on this concept with an attention-grabbing blue and purple label and a metallic blue cap alongside a sweeter flavour profile.
“We also have the Nova which is what we consider our house-style, a single-malt whiskey with a maroon colour scheme that has notes of chocolate, spice and berry flavours, which has won multiple awards so far.”
Other whiskey variants in this series are Starward’s 100 Proof (purple) which is matured in American oak barrels and carries notes of caramel, vanilla, blackberries and figs; as well as Solera (orange and gold) which uses a fortified wine cask that gives it stone fruit and pineapple notes.
“The popularity of each whiskey differs depending on the market, but in South Korea for example, 100 Proof is very popular for the taste but Two-Fold is popular due to being very versatile and can be drank in many ways including in cocktails,” he said.
The rise of modern whiskey
Younger consumers are a major driving force behind the growth of modern whiskies, and this bodes especially well for the sector in APAC with the rapid growth of this younger population here.
“Internationally, new modern whiskies are definitely seeing a rise and many of these products are actually coming from APAC,” he said.
“In addition to Kavalan and Amrut, we are also seeing whiskies from markets where whiskey has not previously thought to be a major market such as South Korea’s Ki One.
“These modern brands are helping to really change the mindset around age statements for whiskey, and as interest rises many traditional brands are also experimenting in this area, even big names in the industry such as Glenfiddich.”
Starward has big plans for the Asian region with its products and plans to tap on the growth of cocktail culture and middle-class consumers to establish itself here over the next few years, particularly amongst younger consumers who are just entering legal drinking age.
