Westland 7 Year (2012) Cask 6059 for r/Bourbon
Whisky: Westland 7 Year (2012) Cask 6059 for r/Bourbon
Country/Region: United States/Washington
ABV: 51.5%
Cask: New Oak, Maple Wood (3Y)
Age: 10 Years (Distilled 5 April 2012, Bottled April 2022)
Nose: Loud and woody with caramel fudge brownies, lacquered wood, wood polish, green coffee bean, brown sugar, stone fruit pits, walnut oil, and hints of grapes and prunes in the background.
Palate: Medium-bodied, tannic, fruity introduction with grapes, prunes, dates, and hints of orange; cherries carried toward chocolate fudge with hints of coffee and caramel; brown sugar and lacquered wood on the back end with pepper, wood polish, and hints of cigar box.
Finish: Long with a bit of spirited prickle, caramel, wood, and cherry syrup.
Score: 5 (74)
Mental Image: Woodpeckers in a Beaver Joint
Narrative & Notes: As with some of the other casks Westland bottled for r/Bourbon, the age statement on the label is a few years off— indeed, this Westland clocked in at just a hair over ten years, making it the first double-digit Westland I have encountered.
While I hoped to find some more mature Westland in gentler refill casks, I was surprised at just how balanced the wood influence felt considering its double maturation in new oak and then maple wood. That said, it was too oak-dominant for my taste, especially on the nose. The palate did feature a lovely fruity diversion at the beginning, but then the woody cask influence swept in and carried on through the finish. The finish was impressively long, and though it was initially spicy and tannic, it featured a lovely slow fade toward notes of roasted barley tea and brown sugar.
Overall, not a bad whisky, but not quite to my taste. I enjoyed the slightly younger cask 6063 (see that review here), which also featured a three-year maple wood maturation at the end. I imagine fans of big, wood-driven profiles will enjoy this.
Image Credit: Ryeamlegend; check out his site at the link. (Once he posts his review, I will also add that!)
