Review by: Whiskery Turnip
Distillery: Westland.
Bottler: Distillery.
Region: United States/Washington Single Malt.
ABV: 51.6%. Cask Strength
Age: 8 Years. Distilled on 30 July 2013. Bottled in April 2022.
Cask type: New Oak, Port Wine Finish (5Y 6mo.)
Nose: Rich stewed plums and caramel apples with hints of bubble gum and all manner of summer fair’s midway delights: cotton candy, chocolate and caramel, or fried Snickers? Fried Fig Newtons, perhaps, as rich dates and figs met with cinnamon and a touch of dried grass.
Palate: Full-bodied and rich, sweet and sugary, cotton candy and caramel apples, stewed fruits in a buttery crust, hints of peach cobbler, vanilla extract, cherry pie; hints of bubble gum besides bolder notions of licorice, fruit punch, and hard candies.
Finish: Medium-length and drying with fruit punch, cotton candy, and oak.
Mental Image: Sugar High on the Ferris Wheel.
Conclusion: If the notes sound good, then maybe ignore the score— or round it up a few notches. I found this overly sweet and saccharine, as if someone had melted some fruity hard candies or a fruit punch Tootsie roll in my glass. The big, bold, and in-your-face fruits and fruity candies— cotton candy and bubble gum— distracted from the woody nature of the whisky. It was only on the finish that the underlying tannic nature stood out in a more obvious way, which is a roundabout way of saying the mouthfeel was well-composed and balanced.
Overall, too much of a sugar high for my taste; the port cask carried this to the point where I found it a bit cloying. Bubble gum notes are also not a personal favorite, but if they are yours, then this whisky has more to recommend itself. Much as with casks 3788 and 6059, while this was labeled as seven years old, it was actually closer to nine.
Final Score: 76.
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.
Malt Runners 