cascode
Westward American Two Malts Bridgeport Brewing Co.
American Single Malt — Portland, Oregon, USA
Reviewed
July 13, 2022 (edited July 23, 2022)
Nose: Malt, ale, espresso-roast coffee, roasted nuts. A distant breeze of rye spices – caraway, mint.
Palate: Mildly spicy/sweet arrival, grains, malt, dark ale, rye spice. The development shows earthier cereal notes and malt extract together with a little chocolate and there is some nougat and fruit in the late development. The palate has a pleasant fresh and crisp quality, but it could be criticised for being just a little thin.
Finish: Medium. Sweet, malty and fruity. There is a flavour of ale that lingers into the aftertaste.
This was an Australian exclusive release, and the second such exclusive that Westward has released here. It is rich in profile and like the first (which I’ve reviewed previously) highly suggestive of a strong, dark craft ale. This impression starts slowly but builds through the tasting until by the time you have finished the dram you feel like you’ve just had a half-pint of red ale.
The proof is excellent for the spirit and carries the flavour very well whilst remaining mostly hidden. There is a warming heat but it’s not a “hot” spirit as such and I finished my dram without even thinking to add any water. Rye spices are definitely detected throughout, but they are very well integrated and the rye content of the spirit at no time seems overt.
Tasted from a 20ml sample.
“Very Good” : 85/100 (4 stars)
170.0
AUD
per
Bottle
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@cascode thanks for the heads up. I’ll try and spot it next time I’m at one of the decent whisky bars in Perth…
@PBMichiganWolverine Westward have a strong presence in Australia. They have a local website where we can buy a selection of their whiskey online (not the full range or merch) and they also list liquor stores in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth where you can buy in person. An arrangement like that is rare even for our own Aussie distilleries. Someone at Westward must have personal ties with Oz. @DrRHCMadden They list Copper & Oak at Tuart Hill as the WA retailer. This whisky is a good one but it is a bit quirky with its strong ale aromas and flavours so I'd recommend a taste if possible before buying (I'd send you a dram but my taste was from a sample I got last year for a Whisky List virtual tasting). I've noticed that "ale" quality in everything from Westward so far to varying degrees so I guess it's a distillery signature and a whole bottle might get a bit monotonous. I had a similar experience with an IPA-based experimental whisky I tasted at Starward a few years ago. It was interesting and unusual at the distillery and I bought a 375ml bottle, but by the time it was empty I was well over it.
Sounds like a complex and challenging dram. Will keep an eye out for a taste next time I’m out and about.
Wow 170 AUD isnt as bad as I expected. I think this is about $100 here ( 150AUd)