Westward Whiskey (not to be confused with Westland or Starward) was founded in Portland, Oregon, in 2004 as House Spirits Distillery by Master Distiller Christian Krogstad. In 2011, Thomas Mooney joined as co-owner and CEO of House Spirits Distillery, now Westward Whiskey. In September 2018, Westward was acquired by Diageo through a partnership with Distill Ventures. In 2022, Christian Krogstad stepped down as Master Distiller and from his operating role at Westward Whiskey to pursue other interests.
The whiskey I’m reviewing today is a single barrel American single malt selection chosen by Jay West (t8ke) for the r/bourbon single barrel program. Jay mentioned that because the Westward Cabernet pick was a rarity, there was no guarantee that the sales team would allow it to be released. Fortunately, the Westward sales team came through, but because they were so used to the wine finish picks being Pinot Noir, they mistakenly put the Finished in Pinot Noir Casks sticker on the bottle. However, the T8KE badge sticker says Cabernet Finished.
Westward Whiskey’s motto is, “We brew like a craft ale, distill like a single malt and age like a Bourbon.” To get a better understanding of what this means, I reached out to Westward with questions about their process.
Yeast Strain Westward uses an American ale yeast, often called “Chico” yeast, rather than a distiller’s yeast. After much experimentation, they chose the ale yeast strain for the fruity esters it creates, specifically for the signature stone fruit and berry notes that compliment a malted barley mash bill. The resulting fermentation produces a wash that is as drinkable as a tasty pale ale (without the hops).
Fermentation The fermentation process takes place over an average of 5 days at 75°F (lower and slower than most).
Distillation Westward runs two distillations in custom low-reflux Vendome pot stills that they designed. The beer (stripping) still is a steam-jacketed, 3,000-gallon 22-foot-tall still that has a batch yield of about 650 gallons of low wines at approximately 35% ABV. The second distillation is run through a 700-gallon spirit still, which produces about 250 gallons of “new make” whiskey at around 140 proof. Their barrel entry proof is 125.
Cooperage Westward uses new, 53-gallon, American white oak air-dried barrels from Independent Stave Company and other cooperages. To prevent the wood from overpowering the whiskey, the barrels are charred to level 2, with some level 3 barrels blended in as well. Their barrels are stacked about 5 pallets high in a warehouse in neighboring Clackamas County, which maintains an inventory of over 7,000 barrels of aging whiskey at any given time.
This diagram shows Westward’s process and a typical batch yield.
The Cabernet finishing barrel came from Jordan Winery, located in Healdsburg, California, known for its Cabernet Sauvignon. The Westward 5-year single malt whiskey was aged in the Jordan Cabernet barrel for just over 2 years, filled in Aug 2021, and bottled in Sept 2023. Let’s get started!
Taken: Neat in a Glencairn glass, rested for about 15 minutes.
Distillery: Westward Whiskey
Selected by: Jay West for r/bourbon.
Proof: 129.76. Single barrel, non-chill filtered.
Age: 7 years (5 years source single malt, 2 years Cabernet finishing).
Mash bill: 100 % Oregon malted barley.
Price: $109.99.
Appearance: Deep burgundy.
Nose
Upfront are Luxardo cherries, red raspberries, and strawberry reduction, with malt cereal, toffee, brown sugar, moderate wood smoke, dark chocolate, graham cracker, allspice, and toasted oak. More nosing brings almond butter, vanilla bean, sage, and dill. Incredible. There is little to no proof heat.
Palate
The nose moves to the palate with toffee, brown sugar, cherries, mixed berries, malt, wood smoke, chocolate with vanilla bean, and green tea. A nice hit of allspice comes through, covering the whole palate and lasting into the finish. The mouthfeel is buttery and viscous, drinking way below its proof. As the spice dies down, smoky malt comes back around with toasted oak. I love how much complexity this whiskey has, with flavors weaving in and out and changing focus during the sip. As the session continues, brown sugar and toffee notes get significantly sweeter.
Finish
Allspice continues to linger for what seems like forever. Along for the ride are cherries, chocolate, malt, toffee, sage, and vanilla. As the finish continues, toasted oak turns to tobacco for an incredibly long and delicious finish.
Conclusion
Westward Cask Strength Cabernet is a delicious, complex, and remarkable American single malt. Particularly the dark cherry and red berry flavors that are exceptional throughout the entire pour. Perfectly balanced with delicious flavors of smoky malt, toffee, and chocolate, have created an ASM that has exceeded my expectations, not to mention the gorgeous bottle it comes in. Another fantastic wine finished ASM I’ve reviewed was Balcones Cataleja. What I loved about Cataleja was the abundance of deep, rich sherry flavors that paired well with the very bold underlying Texas-style single malt. In comparison, the Westward Cabernet flavors feature a more refined wine finishing, with a sweeter and more complex underlying single malt. Both are great selections that fit a particular mood. When compared side-by-side, the Westward Cabernet gets a bump in score for the rich cherry flavors I can’t get enough of and its extra complexity. I’d go as far as saying that Westward Cabernet is one of the best wine-finished whiskeys I’ve had so far.
Rating: 9.0/10.
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out. 2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice. 3 | Bad | Multiple flaws. 4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists. 5 | Good | Good, just fine. 6 | Very Good | A cut above. 7 | Great | Well above average. 8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional. 9 | Incredible | An all time favorite. 10 | Perfect | Perfect.
Taken: Neat in a Glencairn glass, rested for about 15 minutes.
