Dee, Blake, and I linked up last July for our last round of Starlight picks. We worked our way through three and four grain bourbons, double oaked and toasted bourbons, and even some wheat whiskey before landing on this 8.5-year light whiskey just before diving into the finished barrels. It made sense. This uniquely aged whiskey had been resting for six months in a cognac cask.
We already love the big, sweet character of Starlight’s light whiskey, but with the added fruit and funk from the cognac finish, this one stood out as truly one-of-a-kind.
We wrapped the tasting with a polarizing pair of Amburana finished bourbons - one rested just 10 days in a first-fill barrel (24-8173), and another with a longer rest in a third-use barrel (23-2390) that I simply wrote down as “Biscoff.”
The diversity in even these three barrels are the reason we keep going back to Starlight again and again. We hope you love these new barrels.
We also have a limited supply of their new Limited Release Toasted Barrel Bourbon, which is easily one of my favorite toasted barrels I've tried this year.
Starlight Distillery 8-Year 6-Month Light Whiskey #24-8190 129.7 proof
The nose is rich and decadent - think vanilla cake, butterscotch, cane sugar syrup, caramel icing, with a hint of smoke like you’ve just blown out the candles on a birthday cake. Still, there’s a touch of perfumed oak and dark fruit that adds depth and keeps you coming back.
The palate is viscous and chewy, hitting bold on your first pour but softening well with air. Despite all the confectionary sweetness that carries over from the nose, it finds balance in funky, sparkling grape and apple butter notes.
The finish is plush and coating, gliding along with silky richness like warm beignets dipped in raspberry sauce and drizzled with caramel.
Starlight Distillery Amburana Barrel Finished Bourbon #24-8173 114.6 proof
Light, lively, and airy - the nose leans more toward vanilla cream puff and caramel than the usual cinnamon roll sweetness. Give it a moment, and playful berry notes begin to emerge.
The palate opens with that same vanilla cream puff character, then shifts into richer, doughy cinnamon pastry territory. Unlike others that veer toward pineapple soft serve, this one stays grounded in the baked goods lane, emphasizing warm, comforting spice.
The finish is a continuation from the palate, giving baked apple tart, whipped topping, and fresh cedar notes.
Starlight Distillery Amburana Barrel Finished Bourbon #23-2390 115 proof
Earthy leather and dense, buttery caramel sauce in perfect harmony. This nose has an elegance to the spice, perfumed fruits, and oak that, for the first time in any Amburana 'Cigar Batch', takes me back to Magnus Cigar Blend.
The palate is deep and enveloping. Yes, there are pastry notes - but it pushes further into rich spice, subtle smoke, and dense coffee cake notes.
The finish is long and dry, but welcomed. Drier baking spices like ground nutmeg and allspice lead into leather, New Orleans-style chicory coffee, and honey lingering in the long finish.
