Westland Library Tasting “Festive Finishes”

Review by: DemiTastes

For #ASMWAdvent2023 Days 6-10. — Yep, I’m a little late. I actually tasted these on Wednesday the 6th and had planned on posting them right away and then having a few days to go about other business. Instead I didn’t have any time to post until today, so now I’m playing catch-up.

On Wednesday, December 6th, I attended an event at Westland Distillery called a Library Tasting. This specific event had the title “Festive Finishes” and promised a series of interesting cask-finished Westland single cask releases from the archives, which had long since sold out. The list was posted in advance and was quite intriguing: a Tempranillo Cask finish, a Tequila Cask finish (but not Celebrious 2019 which I have reviewed previously), a Maple Cask finish (the wood, not maple syrup; and the cask came from Jack Daniels), and a Marsala Cask finish. I’ve included reviews of all 4 taken live below.

I’ve also included a bonus review of a taste of a prototype of Westland Solum 2nd Edition. The final version of Solum Edition 2 will be released February 10th!

We also got a taste of the currently-available Amarone cask handfill which was very sweet and a delightful dessert whiskey. I was tempted to buy one of these but I’m all stocked up on Westland so that was a tough call; I think I’ll save the budget for the Solum Edition 2.

I’m leaving off my usual “value” / “buy a bottle?” part of my reviews because none of these whiskies are available and therefore the price is a mere theoretical.

Basic Info for All Bottlings

  • Distillery: Westland
  • Bottler: Westland
  • Region/Style: American Single Malt Whiskey (Washington)
  • Price: For Westland Single Casks from the distillery, typically $99.99 plus taxes in WA (with a tasting flight included).

ASMW Advent Day 6: Westland 7 Year Single Cask #6659 Tempranillo Cask Finished

  • ABV: 51.9% CS Cask Strength | NCF Non-chillfiltered
  • Age: 7 years (primary aging for 4+ years; 2+ years in a Tempranillo cask)
  • Cask type: new American Oak, finished in a Tempranillo cask
  • Color: 1.1 burnished | NCA No Color Added
  • Nose: focaccia, dry, tannic, dry red fruits, dried figs, earthy, leather, fruity dark chocolate.
  • Palate: lovely. dry and tannic. nice dry herbal fruits, raspberry filling, jam, hint of cedar.
  • Finish: a bit hot, astringent, very tannic. tangerine, hint of rosemary.
  • Conclusion: The tempranillo cask was dry, fruity and tannic, really lovely if you’re in a bourbon mindset. We moved into what I consider more delicate things and coming back it was a bit overwhelming. I initially really liked this for a Tempranillo cask but still overall a bit too tannic for my taste.
  • Final Score: 81/100 – very good

ASMW Advent Day 7: Westland 6 Year Single Cask #5570 Tequila Cask Finished

  • ABV: 52.7% CS | NCF
  • Age: 6 years
  • Cask type: American Oak, finished in a tequila cask
  • Color: 1.0 deep copper | NCA
  • Nose: Husky grain, spearmint, peppery tequila reposado nose, vanilla, agave nectar, sweeter side, almost fennel, mukhwas, hint of bubblegum
  • Palate: Peppery, sweet vanilla, mukhwas. Dense. Drinks under proof. Watermelon candy, pear. Reposado tequila present but not overwhelming.
  • Finish: Agave, pepper. Taste of chili without the heat. Long with a nice evolution.
  • Conclusion: The tequila cask was gentle, sweet, peppery, and still very much Westland. They played nicely together, but some sips were totally Westland and others were driven by tequila, overall playing nicely beween the vegetal notes versus the wood malt. Very interesting. The sort of thing that’s great to taste, maybe not something I’d buy a whole bottle of.
  • Final Score: 83/100 – great

ASMW Advent Day 8: Westland 9 Year Single Cask #6058 Maple Wood Cask Finished

  • ABV: 53.5% CS | NCF
  • Age: 9 years
  • Cask type: new American Oak, finished in a Maple Wood Cask from Jack Daniel’s
  • Color: 0.8 deep gold | NCA
  • Nose: Floral perfume, not quite rose – uncanny though, I had to check whether it was someone in the room wearing perfume. Thyme. A little artificial chemical.
  • Palate: Apple candy. A bit hot. Low flavor density.
  • Finish: Cinnamon roll: enriched sweet dough and royal vanilla icing. A little tannic.
  • Conclusion: The maple cask was super interesting. A bit like an Irish between the light floral and “shiny” chemical notes, but a little more woody. Hard to describe but it was woody in a different way than a typical whiskey. Sweet but not too sweet. I liked it for the uniqueness for a brief taste, not sure about a bottle. Luckily I don’t have the option to ponder over whether to buy: these are all sold out.
  • Final Score: 79/100 – worth tasting

ASMW Advent Day 9: Westland 6 Year Single Cask #6291 Marsala Cask Finished

  • Malt Notes: Peated Malt from Baird’s in Scotland
  • ABV: 53.3% CS | NCF
  • Age: 6 years
  • Cask type: new American Oak, finished in a Marsala Cask
  • Color: 1.5 auburn | NCA
  • Nose: Hint of smoke, but reads mostly earthy. Musty grapes, similar to Sauternes. Marzipan, hint of molasses. Old musty wood. Leather.
  • Palate: Pear drops. Gentle smoke. Marzipan. Honey and pistachio: baklava vibes.
  • Finish: Gentle smoke, now center stage: lovely. Medium-long. Ginger, pistachio, marzipan.
  • Conclusion: The Marsala Cask was utterly fantastic. It was peated (Baird’s from Scotland) and that plays so nicely with sweet wine. This one hangs with the best of Islay malts. In fact, because of the malt, peat, and cask, this felt a lot like a Port Charlotte. Marsala (or perhaps any dessert wine) and peat play exceptionally well together for my palate.
  • Final Score: 88/100 – excellent

ASMW Advent Day 10: Westland (Prototype of Solum Next)

  • ABV: 50.0% | NCF
  • Age: (unstated)
  • Cask type: new charred American Oak only (though the final release will be a blend of new and ex-bourbon)
  • Color: 0.7 amber | NCA
  • Nose: Pine needles. Very faint smoke. New oak influence is obvious. Brown sugar. Cardamom. Marzipan. Sweet pastry, petit-fours.
  • Palate: Confectioners’ sugar, resin, floral perfume. Delightful mouthfeel. Brandy-like. No obvious smoke on the palate.
  • Finish: a little astringent, warming. Medium-long. Sweetness lingers. Vanilla, cardamom, marzipan.
  • Conclusion: On the nose there was immediately that lovely something incomparable about Pacific Northwest peat that I’ve apparently fallen in love with. Despite how much I loved the Marsala Cask, this one captured my attention the longest of the night. This prototype was all new oak (and tasted it) but we were told to expect a mix of new oak and ex-bourbon for the final release. I’m beyond excited for what’s coming. This is going in a really interesting direction, and the final version with ex-bourbon will be likely much more balanced; I’m really looking forward to this release.
  • Final Score: 85/100 – great

(DemiTastes Reviews #87-91, ASMW #38-42.)

Scoring Legend:

  • 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
  • 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
  • 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
  • 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
  • 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
  • 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
  • 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
  • 50-59: Save it for mixing.
  • 0-49: Blech.

Published by DemiTastes

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I started reviewing whiskey in 2020 by seeking out the kinds of things my friends might want to try, and quickly moved to seeking the unique and interesting. These days I focus most of my energy on American Single Malt Whiskey, including creating the subreddit /r/AmericanSMW. I enjoy Single Malts from around the world, as well as a little of everything else, including Bourbon, Brandy, Rum, and Mezcal. I’ve been using names starting with “Demi” since forever, so when I noticed my habit of pouring what seemed to be the smallest drams around the web, and the obvious pun with the small espresso cup called a demitasse, I decided that the name “DemiTastes” only made sense. (I’m DemiReticent on Reddit.)

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