Whisky : Westward Single Malt Oregon Tempranillo Wine Cask

Country/Region : US/Oregon 

ABV : 45%

Cask : Ex-Oregon Tempranillo Wine Cask

Nose : Fruity, creamy, and with lovely pastry notes.  Berry cobbler, cherries, egg custard, chocolate banana, sugar glazed kiwi, and cookie dough.  Interested dry notes of hot cocoa mix, a bit of savory new car, and rubber rain boots.

Palate : Subtle and mellow with plenty of berries, cocoa, coffee, and leather shoes.  A bit of sulphur funk, water logged wood, and burnt out tobacco comes through on the back end.  The wife took those same notes and described them as a bitter berry flavored herbal cough drop.

Finish : Medium length dry and sweet fruit leather.

Score : 3

Mental Image : Berry Cobbler Protein Bar.

Something Better : Glen Ord 9Y SMWS 77.57 (similar cobbler, more summer fruit & pastries)

Something Better : Westland Sherry Wood (similar cookies, berries, cocoa, more complex/balanced)

Something Worse : Strathisla 12Y SMWS 58.32 (similar cough syrup, more sugar, less complex)

Notes : I love the idea behind this dram— Oregon wine and single malt married together— I just did not really enjoy how it turned out.  I think there is definitely something here, it just needs some tinkering.  Maybe virgin oak, or Oregon oak, or Rum casks could be brought in to help balance out some of the interesting fruit notes from the Tempranillo Wine casks.  Those other casks might impart some lovely creamy vanilla from the virgin oak, or maybe some tropical fruits from the rum.  I do think this could work, it just needs balance— maybe a little something to cover up the slightly off notes of sulphur and cardboard that occasionally came through.

I love Westward, but overall I am going to call this one a bit of a miss.  Great idea, just needs a bit of tinkering to really come together.