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.
Community Reviews
James Okafor
Smoke without the peat punch
8/10
Really interesting concept here — using unpeated malt finished in smoky barrels gives you this gentle campfire quality without the Islay sledgehammer. At 48% it carries well neat, lots of tropical fruit underneath the smoke. Not cheap at nearly a hundred quid but it's genuinely unlike anything else on my shelf.
21 February 2026
Aria Kim
Smoke without the peat punch
8/10
Really interesting concept here — using unpeated malt finished in smoky barrels gives you this gentle campfire quality without the Islay sledgehammer. At 48% it carries well neat, lots of tropical fruit underneath the smoke. Not cheap at nearly a hundred quid but it's genuinely unlike anything else on my shelf.
21 February 2026
Elena Vasquez
Smoke without the peat punch
8/10
Really interesting concept here — using unpeated malt finished in smoky barrels gives you this gentle campfire quality without the Islay sledgehammer. At 48% it carries well neat, lots of tropical fruit underneath the smoke. Not cheap at nearly a hundred quid but it's genuinely unlike anything else on my shelf.
21 February 2026
Carlos Mendez
Fun experiment, decent whisky
7/10
The smoke element is more suggestion than statement, which I actually appreciate — it lets the malt character come through. Had it on a single ice cube and it opened up nicely with some honey and baking spice notes. Good but I'd want to try it side by side with their standard offerings before buying another bottle.
7 November 2025
Aiko Tanaka
Fun experiment, decent whisky
7/10
The smoke element is more suggestion than statement, which I actually appreciate — it lets the malt character come through. Had it on a single ice cube and it opened up nicely with some honey and baking spice notes. Good but I'd want to try it side by side with their standard offerings before buying another bottle.
7 November 2025
Ryan Mitchell
Fun experiment, decent whisky
7/10
The smoke element is more suggestion than statement, which I actually appreciate — it lets the malt character come through. Had it on a single ice cube and it opened up nicely with some honey and baking spice notes. Good but I'd want to try it side by side with their standard offerings before buying another bottle.
7 November 2025
Jason Steel
Solid but not a repeat buy at this price
7/10
Picked this up out of curiosity about Australian whisky and it's perfectly decent. Nice interplay between dried fruit and a wispy smokiness, drinks smooth for 48%. That said, £96 is steep for what it is — I can name Scottish single malts that offer more complexity for less.
2 November 2025
Penelope Hart
Solid but not a repeat buy at this price
7/10
Picked this up out of curiosity about Australian whisky and it's perfectly decent. Nice interplay between dried fruit and a wispy smokiness, drinks smooth for 48%. That said, £96 is steep for what it is — I can name Scottish single malts that offer more complexity for less.
2 November 2025
Alex Ramos
Solid but not a repeat buy at this price
7/10
Picked this up out of curiosity about Australian whisky and it's perfectly decent. Nice interplay between dried fruit and a wispy smokiness, drinks smooth for 48%. That said, £96 is steep for what it is — I can name Scottish single malts that offer more complexity for less.
2 November 2025
Idris Ibrahim
This one surprised me
9/10
Wasn't expecting much from an Aussie single malt but the Unexpeated absolutely won me over. There's this lovely balance of red berries, vanilla, and a subtle smoke that creeps in on the finish. I've been sipping it neat after dinner all week and the bottle's already half gone.
7 October 2025
Marcus Chen
This one surprised me
9/10
Wasn't expecting much from an Aussie single malt but the Unexpeated absolutely won me over. There's this lovely balance of red berries, vanilla, and a subtle smoke that creeps in on the finish. I've been sipping it neat after dinner all week and the bottle's already half gone.
7 October 2025
Rosa Paredes
This one surprised me
9/10
Wasn't expecting much from an Aussie single malt but the Unexpeated absolutely won me over. There's this lovely balance of red berries, vanilla, and a subtle smoke that creeps in on the finish. I've been sipping it neat after dinner all week and the bottle's already half gone.
7 October 2025
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