One last American Single Malt from me this week and my first whisky with a partial maturation in maple wood (no syrup involved).

Whisky: Westland 7 Year (2014) Cask 6063 for r/Bourbon

Country/Region: United States/Washington

ABV: 52.1%

Cask: New Oak, Maple Wood (3Y)

Age: 7 Years (Distilled 30 July 2014, Bottled April 2022)

Nose: Cherries and lacquered wood, dried herbs and licorice, indigo ink, dry dusty earth, hints of mesquite wood and butterscotch.

Palate: Medium-bodied, slightly tannic, fruity fizzy candies, cherry, cola, vanilla, hints of grass, earth, indigo, lacquered wood.

Finish: Medium to short with cola, iron, and earth.

Score: 6-7

Mental Image: Handmade Cherry Coke

Narrative & Notes: Welcome to the woods! The aroma was woody with lacquered wood, hints of mesquite, and damp mushroom and lichen-covered trunks. Wood ran throughout, initially pairing up with cherries and dried berries, then dried oregano, anise, and licorice, before a final runout with butterscotch. Drifting in were earthier notions of dry iron-rich soil and indigo ink, which sometimes turned just a touch farmy. Medium-bodied and a touch tannic, the flavor profile opened with sugary pop rock candies, strawberry fizzers, cherry syrup, and sweet cola. I was right at home with fizzy sweet sodas, vanilla, and sugary syrups as earthier notions of freshly cut grass, dusty iron-rich soil, and indigo hung in the background. Wood was there, contributing to a tannic body, but more restrained than I expected after the nose. The finish was medium to short with cola, metallic hints of iron, and earth.

Wow. After such a woody aroma, I did not expect much from the palate beyond a few splinters. Yet, this was absolutely lovely with a beautiful mix of fruity syrups, cola, and earth which occasionally verged on farmy or funky decay as it reminded me of indigo ink. I can see how this might come off as slightly medicinal— like cherry-flavored cough syrup. It was a unique combination, and I appreciated that the wood seemed to stay mainly in the background or at least never devolved into a tannic mess.

Overall, I had no idea what to expect from a malt finished in maple wood. I was hesitant with this batch of casks bottle for r/bourbon as they all started life in new oak, and the first one I tried was definitely over-oaked to my taste. In the end, I liked this and would have scored it up a bit more if the finish just clung a bit longer.

Image Credit: Rye Am Legend, whose images and reviews can be found at Ryeamlegend.com or, with me, on Maltrunners.com