Charting a New Course for Starward Whisky

Starward Whisky founder David Vitale stepped back from the Australian whisky maker’s day-to-day operations several years ago, but after Diageo’s Distill Ventures incubator unit pulled its support for Starward and other distillers last year, Vitale was faced with a dilemma. With his board wanting to seek a buyer for Starward, Vitale decided he was the best potential buyer for the business. Vitale has now bought out Diageo and his former partners, and is charting a new course for the distillery that involves slower, steadier growth. We’ll talk with David Vitale on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, whisky makers in the U-K have been hit with an excise tax increase that will drive up the price of a dram, while China has agreed to reduce its import tariffs on Scotch Whisky. 

Episode 1147: February 1, 2026

Links: Starward Whisky | Radico Khaitan | Uncle Nearest | Cotswolds Distillery | WhistlePig Whiskey | Sotheby’s | Icons of Whisky Awards | Wild Life Distillery | Tamnavulin | The Heart Cut