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

Country/Region : US/Washington

ABV : 52.55%

Cask : First Fill Moscatel Barrique

Age : 7 Years (Distilled Nov. 2013, Bottled May 2021)

Nose : Donut shop, citrus, and berries. Early morning in the donut shop— fried dough, sweet sugary glaze, jelly rolls, blueberry old-fashioned donuts, and apple fritters. A bit woody resinous at times with hints of butter and citrus around the edges.  

Palate : Medium-bodied with mild astringency and notes of a donut shop, candies, and cereal grains. Fried dough, flaky pastries, and icing sugar carried me straight to the donut shop with a mild nuttiness, gingerbread, and dark chocolate—the sweetness built toward malted milk candies, dark chocolates, and peanut butter brittle. Toward the end were leather, oak, and hints of slightly funky sulfur, prunes, and burnt brownie.

Finish : Lingering astringency with notes of malted milk candies and prune.

Score : 5 

Mental Image : Movie Theater Donut Shop

Notes : I could not figure out if this reminded me more of a movie theater snack counter or a donut shop. The nose screamed donut shop, but the palate shifted away from the bakery and brought to mind movie theater candies and an almost dank theater funk— the kind you find in a theater that has fallen on hard times and does not have the staff to do regular deep cleaning.

I found this dram reminded me a lot of the Reverie 1.0, which was not a massive surprise at it was also matured, at least part of the time, in a Moscatel cask. I got similar donut shop notes on that one, though it was a bit sweeter on the whole. There were a few off notes on this toward the end, but I found that a few drops of water washed them out and gave the dram a more balanced mouthfeel. Without a doubt, this benefited from at least a few drops— or even a few more— to really come alive. 

Image Credit: Whiskybase