This Portland, Oregon distillery has long been pushing the category of American whiskey forward. Opening under the name "House Spirits" in 2004, their self-funded venture has since garnered the attention of whisk(e)y powerhouses like Diageo, who invested in their future, giving advice and resources but allowing them to remain independently operated. Wondering what Westward is all about? Let's see how they describe this release on their website:
In a cuvée, a blender’s finest wines come together to create something even more spectacular than the sum of its parts. Similarly, this exceptional mingle of our whiskeys aged in fruit-forward Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, and Pinot Noir barrels brings the best of world-class wine to American whiskey, delivering a dram with a bold berry character. Whiskeys finished in barrels from the legendary Willamette Valley, Sonoma County, and Australia’s Margaret River wine regions intermingle to form one landmark libation.
Here at Amongst the Whiskey, I love bringing you the best, most thorough, and consistent reviews for whisk(e)y of all types. American single malt happens to be a category that really intrigues and excites the writing team here. It's for this reason that I am glad that Westward was able to send this bottle along for review with no strings attached, in accordance with my editorial policy. With nearly every distillery leaning into this category, let's see how this bottle stacks up against the likes of Clermont Steep, Jack Daniel's Twice Barreled, and Redwood Empire Foggy Burl in an ever-changing landscape. If you prefer video reviews, you can catch that here on my YouTube channel.
Company on Label: Westward Whiskey
Whiskey Type: American single malt
Mash Bill Percentages: 100% malted barley
Proof: 96°
Age: NAS
Further identification: This is a 2024 release that was offered exclusively as part of Westward's whiskey club at an MSRP of $99.95
Nose: Light pear, plum, and milk chocolate lead the way on a deep, welcoming inhale. It's a touch bright in the nose with an undertone of white linen and newspaper. Tiramisu and coffee ice cream follow as the glass begins to build in intensity. After a rest, I find subtle hints of whoopie pie filling and a decent amount of oak influence. Graham cracker and a damp earthiness round out the experience. Long inhales produce the berry blast the cask finishing was intending to layer in, though it is surprisingly subtle for the laundry list of wines in the introduction. It has a young and vibrant character prior to a sip.
After a taste, the aromas of a well-oiled and fully operational woodshop can be detected. Late in the glass, sticky sweet notes of vanilla and toffee bubble up in lovely clarity. The empty glass smells like a root beer float and the aroma of hot pavement beginning to cool after a long-awaited sunset at the drive-in movie theater.
Palate: Sipping this whiskey is like chewing on coffee beans—holy smokes; it's like a potent jellyfish stuck out on a sandy beach. Another sip layers in fig and a layer of wet campfire ash. This one is a bit too smokey for my liking, but I know some malt fans are just going to eat that up. It has a sweet, summery character to it, like a crisp American lager beer sipped around a roaring campfire in the woods. The linger is long and smoldering, like sticking your tongue into the dump cobbler a bit too soon after it came out of the Dutch oven. A sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg find their way to the surface from amongst a slurry of juicy red fruit. Overall, it's like a boozy strawberry daiquiri which meets the morning coffee a little too early in the day for comfort. My last sip returns to the ever-present coffee bean, now served alongside a soft cupcake with mascarpone cream. The finish is fluffy and hands around like a cloud of strawberry cotton candy.
TL;DR: A true American classic with parallels to coffee, Budweiser, and dump cobbler.
Rating: 3/5
This is quite good, I'd put it leaps and bounds ahead of Clermont Steep, well ahead of the Foggy Burl release, but a hair below the Jack Daniel's special release that I mentioned in the introduction. While the chewed coffee bean flavors were a little too strong and a little too off-putting early in my experience with this bottle, they have calmed drastically as it has oxidized (I'm on glass 5 with this one for your reference). I really like how this has evolved, but I'm not sure I would find myself reaching for this too often by choice for reasons other than a review. As always, your mileage may vary, so read into those tasting notes above for things that you like. Cheers!
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