Whisky : Westland 5 Year Pale Malt Single Cask 2631

Country/Region : US/Washington

ABV : 57.9%

Cask : First Fill Oloroso

Age : 5 Year (Distilled March 2015, Bottled October 2020)

Nose : Creamy and rich with toffee caramel pudding, melting fudge, and cinnamon hot chocolate.  Holiday flavors continue to rise as the nose moves toward barrel aged maple syrup, cassis jam, spiced whip cream, and boozy eggnog.  Fruity tobacco and malty spiced gingerbread houses drift in the background.

Palate : Thick and creamy with loads of pudding, fruity Christmas cake, dried berries, and an almond studded fudge.  Pumpkin spice hints of star anise, ginger, and cinnamon come into focus along with marzipan and brown sugar.  A bit of water brought out candied espresso beans and a cherry chocolate coffee shop special.

Finish : Lingering sweet fudge, dried fruit, and a mild dryness.

Score : 8

Mental Image : Whipped Cream & Cinnamon Hot Chocolate

Something Similar : Glengoyne Teapot Dram; Batch 7 (similar cream, spice, chocolate, more meat/citrus)

Something Similar : Bunnahabhain 9Y; Lady of the Glen (similar chocolate/coffee, more citrus/dry)

Notes : This was something else.  This was not what I was expecting.  Pale malt and oloroso you say?  No, I don’t think that is something I would like— not enough body, too much cask.  I was wrong.

Ridiculous thoughts aside, this was outstanding and easily one of the best Westland single casks I have tried.  The creamy sugars of the pale malt combined perfectly with a spicy chocolatey oloroso hogshead to produce magic.  The nose had tons of delicious complexity as it moved between layers of spice, fruit, cream, and rich chocolate, while the palate hit all of those notes while adding in some wonderful roasty coffee notes at the end.  The finish was equally wonderful, long lasting, and nicely warming.

There was nothing I would change about this malt, it was gorgeous and equal to, or better than, all of the other oloroso bombs I have had this year.  The style still is not my favorite, but I have a much greater appreciation for it, and this bottle would definitely fit a winter mood— perfect for some holiday nostalgia.