Westland 7 Year (2013) Cask 4859 for r/Bourbon
Whisky: Westland 7 Year (2013) Cask 4859 for r/Bourbon
Country/Region: United States/Washington
ABV: 52.6%
Cask: New Oak, Moscatel Wine Finish (4Y)
Age: 8 Years (Distilled 15 Nov. 2013, Bottled April 2022)
Nose: Rich wood, mild pepper, candied citrus, lacquered wood, hard candies, Christmas cake and firewood.
Palate: Full-bodied, woody and oily, fruit syrups, cinnamon, coffee cake, citrus, cigar box, lacquered wood, resin, chocolate and earth toward the end.
Finish: Medium-length, tannic and drying with wood, chocolate, earth, and grain chaff.
Score: 6 (77)
Mental Image: Country Club Slushy in the Stables
Narrative & Notes: Rich wood and a mellow peppery spice road in with underlying candied citrus peel and cherries. Lacquered wood and wood polish with a touch of leather offered up classy vibes, while licorice candies and sugary frozen lemon-lime and cherry slushies promised something more affordable. Fruity hard candies and Christmas fruit cakes lingered in the background with a cord of firewood. Full-bodied, wood tannins washed in on an oily spirit and an initial wave of fruity syrups and cinnamon coffee cake. Cherry limeade preempted cigar boxes, lacquered wood, and resinous pine, which gradually faded toward chocolate-covered glazed donuts and dry parched earth. The finish was tannic and drying, with wood, chocolate, earth, and grain chaff.
The double maturation in new oak and then Moscatel wine cask produced an intensely woody set of flavors— too woody for my taste, though not offensively so. The malt was a bit lost as the casks dueled with plenty of polished wood and spice from the new oak, battling the saccharine candy and glazed donut notes of the wine. I imagine the casks called a truce— like two titans surveying a wrecked maltropolis.
Overall, this was about as balanced as it could be under the circumstances and quite nice— though I thought it shone best in a classic highball rather than straight up. The eagle-eyed will notice conflicting ages on this review— for the title of the bottle, I included the printed age. However, this release was actually 8 Years old; I have no idea why the actual age was not included, but this bottle was not alone, and casks 3788 and 6059 were also printed as 7 Years despite being older.
Image Credit: Ryeamlegend, check out his review (and amazing photos) through the link!
