During my seven years at Seelbach's, I went to several distilleries that opened my eyes. They gave me a glimpse of where the craft whiskey movement was going. My first visit to Starlight in February 2021 definitely sticks out. I had seen some buzz about Starlight in the bourbon forums, but nothing prepared me for the size and impressive operations I found that day. Usually, you'd visit a distillery and be lucky to try a few samples from a couple of different types of whiskey. Starlight was way beyond that! I met a multigenerational family that had been distilling since 2001. They were not just distilling, they were farming and making wine. They also used new finishing barrels that the whiskey industry had never seen before.
This was the first place I tried a blueberry brandy finish. It included Amburana, VDN, Tokaji, and French Oak. These French Oak staves came from specific regions. The list goes on and on. That's what makes Starlight Distillery special. It's decades of education that have continued to improve their product. The Huber boys now take a hands-on approach at the distillery. You can't replicate that. I definitely wasn’t working around an active fruit farm, winery, and distillery during my high school years, stories often told by both Blake and Christian Huber. It's only right that Starlight reaches this elite level of craft distillers with a double-digit bourbon. And with that, we couldn't be more excited to release this bottle to you today!
This bourbon comes in at 120.3 proof, aged in Seguin Moreau Icone barrels – sourced from their world renowned Napa Valley cooperage. Bottled at peak maturity and released in extremely limited quantities, this 10-Year Bourbon represents the highest expression of what Starlight Distillery stands for: authenticity, craftsmanship, and the unwavering belief that time reveals all.
Give it a few minutes to open in the glass—you’ll be rewarded.
The nose is plush with salted toffee, spiced caramel, and cola, evolving into worn leather and ripe red fruits: tart cherry, even a touch of strawberry. As it rests, softer notes of cinnamon butter and mature oak emerge.
The palate pops with ginger and allspice before settling into salted caramel and rounded cherry cola. For its age, it leans surprisingly fruity, showing bursts of crisp apple, strawberry, and cherry candy reminiscent of some of the recent popular 15/16-year Kentucky bourbons. Sip slowly - the best part is the oak that creeps in with time, adding depth and elegance and setting it apart from other Starlight releases.
The finish ties it all together: long, sweet caramel moving towards cream soda layered with trailing red fruits and a lingering, mature oak presence.
