Time for a bit of a change, with an American single malt whiskey made in Oregon in small quantities from 100% malted barley grown in the Pacific Northwest. Fermented with a traditional ale yeast and distilled in copper pots, the spirit is aged in new charred oak for more than 2 years. I was given a sample of this whiskey by Shai (@dsappl on twitter : thanks buddy!), and must admint I’ve never heard about it before. But I am not a guy to turn down such an offer to try an unknown (to me) American whiskey , let a lone a single malt!
Westward Small Batch Oregon Straight Malt Whiskey , 45% ABV , $49 for 375ml
Nose: Feels like whiskey alright. But Irish whiskey. Not as sweet. Quite a lot of spice. Vanilla. Coriander too. Cumin. Ginger. Sweet barley. Dried apricot.
Palate: The palate is funky. I’m getting all kind of spices with a malty vanilla backbone. Coriander again. Pepper. Honey. Maple syrup.
Finish : Maple spice. Dough.
Bottom line:
This is a nice little odd one, I can’t say It’s bad, but I can’t say I love it. It’s out there! It’s unique. and it’s young obviously. A nice change indeed from the Scotch / Bourbon profile, it’s something in the middle I’d say. If you’ve not tried it, I recommend a wee dram. Not sure i shall opt for a bottle of this certainly for almost $100 for a full sized bottle (It’s sold in 375ml only). Available online in the USA.