Whisky : Westland 7 Year (2013), Single Cask Nation

Country/Region : United States/Washington

ABV : 62.75

Cask : First Fill Bourbon Barrel

Age : 7 Year (Distilled June 2013, Bottled May 2021)

Nose : Fruity, earthy, and herbal. Fruit and earth popped right away like a banana taffy dropped in red dirt. Earthy notes fell out as a subtle menthol appeared along with loads more estery fruits. Banana lumpia, grilled plantains, and coconut cream all came to mind. Wisps of smoke and char brought to mind grilled fruits and grilled peppers, but only in the background.

Palate : Medium-bodied with loads of fruits and fruity peppers— hints of the grill and ash in the background. There was a wave of bananas, grilled green peppers, and banana peppers on the front end. Surprisingly estery, tropical vibes of dried coconut, hints of papaya, and candied banana. Hints of grill ash and herbal menthol appeared at the end.

Finish : Lingering notes of grill ash and banana desserts.

Score : 3

Mental Image : Post-bbq Banana Lumpia 

Notes :  After talking about this dram with some friends, I concluded that love for rum, and particularly funky high ester rums, correlated quite a bit with loving this dram. I did not love it, and I rarely like spirits with a banana note, especially banana-flavored candies.

This Single Cask Nation Westland was initially quite earthy on the nose, but as it had time to breathe and open up, it became fruitier and fruitier and reminded me strongly of the two Peat Week casks from earlier this year. That was not the best connection to make because I did not care for those drams. The flavor profile had the same slightly odd artificial banana notes to me, though it at least had hints of the grill and charred peppers. I found this remarkably fruity for a peated dram. The Single Cask Nation notes are not too far off my own; well, they at least hit a similar banana note which I appreciate because I thought I was going crazy there.

Image Credit: Whiskybase.com