Review by: Raygun

Had one other Westland that I can recall, although I don’t remember what it was and didn’t take any notes. Pretty new to American single malts in general. I don’t tend to like the heavy use of virgin oak with malt, so not a category I’ve sought out much. But heard good things about Westland and I do like Moscatel casks, so I was curious about this one, picked by t8ke for r/bourbon. Reviewed from a sample. Rested about 10 minutes.

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Distillery: Westland

Brand: Westland   

Region/style: American single malt

ABV: 52.6% 

Age: Seven years officially, but actually eight: distilled November 15, 2013 and bottled in April 2022. Finished in a Moscatel cask for 4 years, virgin oak before that. Cask #4859, 282 bottles. 

Cask type: New oak and Moscatel

Color: 1.7 burnt umber. Natural color. Unsure about chill-filtration, but likely not.

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Nose: Very oaky, in a way similar to bourbon. Furniture shop smell. Get caramel and maple syrup, but also chocolate and orange from the Moscatel cask.      

Palate: Very rich and oaky here, too. Caramel, some banana, orange zest, vanilla, chocolate syrup…there’s a lot going on here. The sweetness is held in check fairly well with the tannic aspects. I would still call it very desserty because of the richness and density. Not especially alcoholic, but very strong flavors.  

Finish: Orange, caramel, some clove and an incense flavor turn up now. Hints of maple syrup. The tannins really come out. Nothing subtle about this. Not much heat, but the flavor is very dense. 

Conclusion: Whoa. This puts the pedal to the metal. I can see the appeal, even as it’s not my style. It does come across as pretty bourbon-like with the strong oak character, but it’s mostly working for me here. “Dense,” “brash,” and “flavor-packed” are the terms that come to mind. Not something I’d see pouring a second glass of. It is the very opposite of subtle. Not necessarily a bad thing, if not my usual preference. I could see some people liking it much more. 

Buy a bottle? Good to try, but I don’t need a bottle.  

Score: 75

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category. (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram. (Stagg Jr batch 12)
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff. (Elijah Craig Barrel Proof (new))
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting. (Pikesville Rye)
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better. (Wild Turkey 101)
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink. (Maker’s Mark)
• 50-59: Save it for mixing. (Old Grandad 114)
• 0-49: Blech. (High West Yippee-ki-yay)