Taken: Neat in a Glencairn glass, rested for about 15 minutes.
Distillery: Westward Whiskey
Proof: 92, non chill-filtered.
Age: 6 years (5 years source single malt, 1 year Stout cask finishing).
Mash bill: 100% Oregon malted barley.
Price: $89.95.
Appearance: Golden caramel.
Nose
Right off the bat, I love this nose. Up front, there is sweet caramel, toffee, and honey, along with stout beer, toasted oak, malt, and cacao. Underneath is sweet stone fruit resembling apricots, vanilla, and an herbaceous green tea-sage note with little proof heat from the moderate amount of cinnamon spice. The balance is perfect with flavors I love in a stout and an American single malt.
Palate
What you get from the nose transfers onto the palate with sweet caramel, toffee, stout beer, cacao nibs, malt, vanilla, apricots, and green tea. Cinnamon spice creeps in mid-sip, covering the palate with a good, medium-creamy mouthfeel. I’m glad the stout barrel finish is stronger here than you’d expect from the nose, but it never overwhelms the sip. Meanwhile, the sweet caramel flavors do a great job of complementing the stout and malt. All the flavors are well-balanced and hold up well at 92-proof while creating an easy drinking experience.
Finish
Cinnamon spice continues with toasted oak, stout beer, malt, and apricots that linger with just a hint of pipe tobacco and chocolate entering towards the end of a very good medium-long finish.
Conclusion
Westward Whiskey’s motto is, “We brew like a craft ale, distill like a single malt, and age like a Bourbon.” With a tagline like that, you’d assume they would know how to create a great stout-finished single malt, and they do. The Westward Stout Cask is what I hoped it would be, and then some. I love this flagship release’s flavor profile and easy drinkability at 92-proof, and I can see why it’s so well recommended. I’d love to buy a cask-strength version of this release if I can find one at a decent price.
Rating: 7.0/10.
The sample for this review was provided by Westward Whiskey at no cost and without any stipulations.
The opinions of this review are my own.
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.
