Whisky : Westland American Oak Single Malt

Country/Region : United States/Washington

ABV : 46%

Cask : Virgin American Oak, Ex-Bourbon

Age : 3+ Years

Tasting : Neat in a Glencairn @ Home

Nose : A mountain blackberry patch after a rainstorm.  Fruity red wine: black grapes, raspberry, blackberry all shine right away.  Subtle wood spice notes of clove, cinnamon, and a hint of vanilla complement the fresh berries.

Palate : Opens up with rich sweet licorice and clover honey notes.  There is a great oily, viscous, chewy, and thick mouthfeel.  Cardamon and star anise add some spice and complexity.  Cherry pits and the syrupy sweetness of fortified wine round out the dram.

Finish : Long and lingering sweet fruity spices.

Score : 6

Mental Image : Hiking through misty morning mountains, eating sweet plums and sour blackberries, the smell of wood and overripe fruit is heavy in the air.

Something Better : Westland Garyanna 3:1 (additional savory notes & complexity from Oregon Oak & peated malt)

Something Similar : Westward American Single Malt (similar malty notes & sweetness)

Something Worse : Rogue Spirits Oregon Single Malt (less body, shorter finish, similar profile)

Notes :  Westland was a bit of an enigma to me.  I had seen their core lineup sitting in the “Bourbon/American Whisky” section of local liquor stores and I had always wondered a little bit about those bottles.  What was an American Single Malt?  Was that like scotch?  Was their peated bottle any good?  Peat is not an profile you often see in American spirits so my curiosity was piqued.

I finally pulled the trigger and grabbed a bottle of the Garyanna 3:1 after learning about Westland’s Garyanna Oak conservation and reforestation programs.  I loved that bottle enough that I jumped at the chance to finally try their core range at a Craft Spirits tasting event.  I was so impressed with the American Oak that I picked a bottle that evening. A friendly discount for any bottles purchased at the event was all the extra motivation I needed. I only wish that the distributor had sampled more of the core range at the event. My wife was slightly less impressed, better than bourbon maybe, but she’s generally felt that the Westland expressions we’ve tried have been too sweet for her taste (Peat Week 2018 being a notable, well received, and unsurprising exception).

I have really fallen in love with this bottle.  It is rich and thick with enough bold complex malty flavors that I find myself frequently grabbing the bottle for an evening dram.  It fits all sorts of moods, it is versatile, and stands up well as the first or the last dram of the evening.  Even after a cask strength heavily peated bomb, the flavors and mouthfeel created with Westland’s barley blend is bold enough that I can still enjoy it.  I was pretty surprised how well it hung in there, many other 46% abv. drams can wilt and feel weak or watery after your taste buds have been overwhelmed by a peat or sherry bomb.  I love the complexity of flavor that the mix of different barley types bring to play.

I look forward to trying future Westland expressions.  I was really impressed with what they have accomplished.  As their stocks mature and they continue to experiment, I can only imagine that there are good things still to come.