Whisky, like music, connects people – even if they are oceans apart from each other! With their recently released Collaboration Drop 01, Scottish indie bottlers Turntable Spirits have given that claim whole new level of truth. Taking it literally rather than just figuratively, they teamed up with Melbourne-based malt mavens Starward to create a one-of-a-kind blend that’s made partly from Australian whisky and partly from Scotch. The formula reads as follows: Starward takes the lead in this well-orchestrated composition with 39 per cent of spirit matured in the distillery’s signature red wine casks. Inchgower and North British contribute a combined 51 per cent of whisky sourced from virgin oak. And ultimately, Caol Ila rounds the whole thing off by adding a final 10 per cent of Islay malt from a 1st-fill ex-Bourbon barrel. Especially when interplaying with each other, the four components do an excellent job here: The blended world whisky they concertedly form is flavor-rich, tastebud-pleasing, and more-wanting all together!

by Tobi

Eye: Caramel brown.
Nose: Inside a thick and chewy hull of moccachino, brittle, and vanilla-flavored ice cream, there is a sweet, red fruit core: Strawberry! Raspberry! Cherry! And above all, there soars a light and fleeting smoke cloud.
Palate: Lotsa sugared red fruits and berries go first – it stands to reason that these come from the Starward in the mix! Then, the Caol Ila buckles up, adding grey ash and mild fume. And last but not least, the Inchgower and the North British provide sweetness and creaminess galore: nougat bites, tangerin tart, vanilla pudding, and coconut macaroons.
Finish: The easy-going finish is medium long and salivating. It emphasizes on milk chocolate, nut splinters, coconut flakes, orange liquor, and bramble jam – with wee amounts of oak and zest being thrown in the mix, too.

Type: Blended World Whisky
Region: Australia & Scotland
Age: NAS
Alc. volume: 46 per cent
Cask: Different oak casks
Bottle size: 0.7 litres
Price: 80.00 Euro
More info: https://turntablespirits.com/ (Blender) ; https://starward.com.au/ (Collab Partner) ; https://kirschwhisky.de/ (Importer)

*** I got the bottle for free from Kirsch Whisky. ***