Westward Oregon Stout Cask Finish

Strong stout finish

Strong caramel on the front end, leading to oak and vanilla notes. I had this delicious make in the PDX airport. A must stop.

Nose: Dried Fruit, Orange Zest, Oak, Raw Sugar. Flavor: oak, brown caramel, apricot, dark chocolate. Finish: Huge blast of dark chocolate

In honor of the 4th of July I’m drinking Westward’s American Single Malt Stout Cask. I picked this bottle up from the Westward tasting room at the Portland (OR) airport - if you’re traveling through PDX, this is a must stop! Westward takes a unique approach to their process - they start with brewery yeast and then age their mash in new American oak barrels. Then they empty and give those barrels to local breweries to age their beers. Later they get those barrels back and use them to finish their whiskies. Not sure what combination of beer barrels they use for their standard single malt but this one is finished in stout casks. This approach has resulted in a unique and really tasty end product. On the nose I get fresh oak, caramel, orange zest, cinnamon and nutmeg. Two things come through clearly on the palate - the stout influence and the use of high quality barrels. Both result in a beautiful mouthfeel. Taste-wise I get burnt sugar, oily vanilla bean, fresh orange, oak, cocoa nibs, and roasted chestnuts. And a toasty, roasty, malty finish. This is a young whiskey (believe it’s 5 years or younger) but it tastes much older and more refined than I expected. It’s delicious. If this is a sign of what’s to come from Westward, I’m really excited!