Westward "Single Barrel #B-236-11" K&L Exclusive Cask Strength Single Barrel American Single Malt Whiskey (750ml) (Previously $100)

We I visited Portland back in the summer of 2018, I totally blown away by the scale with which House Spirits has committed to their Westward Single Malt. These guys are distilling lots of great whiskey and while other brands constantly release special editions, new expressions and one offs, Westward has devoted itself to one singular product. The results are in the bottle, but I finally convinced them that the world wanted more! After a year of waiting, we finally have it. This insane cask of 6 year old Single Malt bottled at full strength is one of the most interesting things we've ever put into the bottle. I've always been worried about how older American Single Malt would handle the oak, but this cask proves there's no limit to the amount of age, when you start with a robust flavor spirit. On first nosing, you're overwhelmed by deep dark chocolate maltiness. Powerful aromas of roasted hazelnuts, grilled peach, red fruit compote, exotic honey, woodsy underbrush and zesty citrus peel. On the palate it's pure malt framed by dark tea, sweet caramel and powerful spice. But add a few splashes of water and you've got something much more supple and quaffable. Now we move into the gorgeous orchard fruit, honeysuckle, nougat, cracked pepper and subtle herbal under tons. The palate continues with the bright malt, stones fruits and some pepper, but finishes long and warming like a glass of sweet barley tea. I've rarely come across craft single malt this complex and put together. The style is the perfect balance between the bold malt flavors and the heady woodsy aromatics that an American whiskey drinker might love. I don't know if I'd call this a crossover whiskey because it just feels like it should inherently appeal to anyone, but it's certainly one of the most exciting products we have in the store right now.

The American whiskey is one of the most exciting products in today's beverage scene and has grown well beyond its original roots in the deep south. The Westward whiskeys represent the cutting edge of what’s happening in the Pacific Northwest. Our spirits team secured another K&L exclusive with this 6-year-old single malt. It’s an assertive little number, but with a splash of spring water, you can tame this robust libation and enjoy the purity of cask-strength American whiskey. The nose is amazingly complex, bursting forth like a fire hydrant with cocoa, nuts, caramel, flowers, pepper, and herbs. With just the right amount of water, to your taste, you can enjoy the palate's interpretation of one of the most interesting and compelling domestic whiskeys I’ve tried in quite some time. This is just one more example of why K&L has one of the most dynamic spirits programs in the US.

The oldest barrel Portland’s Westward has ever released (distilled in 2013), our exclusive cask is intense! Immediately aromatic in the glass, Single Barrel #B-236-11 features locally-sourced two row barley from Oregon, showing pleasing malt and cocoa up front. There’s a ton of oak influence through the heady palate, with a take-no-prisoners spicy finish. This 131 proof cask strength version begs for water, but once you’ve found the perfect ratio, it sings with complexity, enhancing everything from caramel pralines to woodsy, slightly herbaceous notes. This experiential whiskey is not for the timid, but can be finessed into something special.

So often when we taste in a professional setting, we try our best to break things down into qualities that readers can identify, interpret and evaluate with relative ease. This, however, is one of those rare occasions where a spirit bucks conventional characterization, as it is so much greater than the sum of its parts. Truthfully, I tasted this four times before writing, and each time I got a different impression; there is so much going on here. Sweet, crunchy grain; savory dough and marzipan; plum and cherry; tons of spice; and sweet caramel with a touch of fudge, all wrapped up in a taut, fiery expression of young but astoundingly complex malt. Candied almonds and chamomile in the midpalate arrive suddenly at a snappy, savory, spicy finish that lingers with dark, brooding chocolate and toasted oak. With enough water to cut the proof, suddenly it feels like a much tamer beast: salty pralines, banana and peach cobbler purr softly, with some of the heat replaced by nutmeg and allspice. Either way you sample it, this is delicious, and definitely worthy of multiple revisits.

The nose is full of caramel and orange rind, and some stone fruit in the background. On the palate for me...ok I had to add some water to this 131 proof was a bit too powerful for my delicate palate, but then a lot more intrigue, more honeyed than caramel character came forward with some elder-flower. Powerful, decisive spirit with real depth and persistence.