Dried mixed fruit | Light peaches | Caramel | Crème brûlée | Lightly charred oak | Cinnamon stick | Touch of vanilla

Brown sugar | Sickly sweet syrup | Bright summer fruits | Peach pie filling | Baking spices | Vanilla powder | Gentle oak

Charred oak | Leather | Brown sugar | Dried peach | Baking spices | Lingering gentle spice and syrup

Starlight Distillery, located in Borden, Indiana, calls Huber’s Orchard & Winery home. The farm started in 1843 when Simon Huber settled it, and is now in the 7th generation of Hubers living and working on the farm. For their latest release, the distillery is focusing inward with their new Estate Collection. "Our family has farmed this ground for 7 generations, and our products carry that place in every glass. This is a whiskey that couldn't be made anywhere else, by anyone else," says Christian Huber, Starlight’s 7th-generation distiller.  

In order for whiskey to be Estate Whiskey Certified, the whiskey must be produced entirely on the same land, with grain grown, milled, cooked, fermented, distilled, barreled, aged, and bottled within one estate. Moreover, at least 67% of the mashbill grains must be grown on estate-owned or controlled land. This percentage must be displayed on the bottle, and in the case of Estate Collection 7-Year Cask Strength Bourbon, it’s 80% displayed easily meets the qualification. Notably, that percentage is displayed on a new bottle style, unlike the more traditional squat bottles that are synonymous with Starlight Distillery whiskey.

The most surprising part of Starlight Distillery Estate Collection 7-Year Cask Strength Bourbon is the amount of sweet flavors it delivers. It kicks off with an aroma that hones in on dried mixed fruit, light peaches, and crème brûlée, which blend in nicely with lightly charred oak and cinnamon stick. The midpoint ramps up the speed of the sweetness thanks to heaps of brown sugar, bright summer fruits, peach pie filling, and sickly sweet syrup. A gentle oak note is present, which turns into a more hardened, charred oak note as the finish kicks off. Joined with leather, brown sugar, dried peaches, and baking spices, the whiskey rides out on a note of gentle spice and syrup.

Starlight has been leaning into their barrel finishes lately, with some excellent results, so it’s nice to see them lean back into a classic bourbon. Surprisingly, though, this bourbon drinks very sweet, leaning heavily into summer fruits and various sugar notes. Thankfully, its lighter oak and spice notes add balance, but make no mistake, this first Estate Collection 7-Year Cask Strength Bourbon will appeal to those looking for a sweeter sip.