OVERVIEW:

On September 15th, 2021 David, Roger & Scott from the Rare Bird 101 whiskey group teamed up with Taylor and Kat from the MALT REVIEW whiskey blog for an American Single Malt private barrel selection from the Westland Distillery. They sat down with brand ambassador Chris Riesbeck, to discuss the philosophy and process of Westland before diving into the three barrels on offer. We hope you'll enjoy this selection as much as we did. Please read Taylor's article for more detail on all 3 barrels.

MALT REVIEW Article - Taylor Cope (September 22nd, 2021)

BARREL DETAILS:

Barrel: No. 5700, Spirit: 5-Malt, Cask: Tequila, Cooperage: Rocky Mountain, Proof: 105.05, Bottle Count: 192, Original Cask: ISC Coopers Reserve, Fill Date: 7/29/14, Finish Date: 7/18/18, Harvest Date: 2/22/21

TASTING NOTES: David Jennings

Nose: Fruity chocolate, Cadbury Creme egg, zesty apple jam, hints of citrus & char
Taste: Wheat toast & jelly, sweet (then savory) malt, raisin bran cereal, mocha coffee
Finish: Long w/ grilled orchard fruit, dark vanilla, waves of earthy smoke & spice
Overall: A flavor rollercoaster of a cask! If you like malt whiskey, you’ll love Westland 5700. If you’re not a fan of malt whisky, I urge you to at least give this one a try via sample. There’s a lot to love here. It’s not bourbon; it’s not rye. And despite the secondary maturation, it’s not tequila-esque either. This is a completely different whiskey-sipping experience, as the nose, taste, and finish each offer their own distinctive traits. I never thought I’d be so excited for a malt whiskey cask, but here I am.

TASTING NOTES: Taylor Cope

Color: Medium-dark golden brown.
On the Nose: Initially, this presents Asian cuisine aromas of soy sauce and five-spice. There’s more tannic and young woodiness, with notes of mesquite. Spicy and sweet scents of Tabasco sauce and brown sugar bounce back and forth. Some more time in the glass reveals a whiff of strawberry yogurt, as well as maritime notes of kelp and algae. Chris called out some dried cherry scents, which became apparent to me after he suggested them. Only after a very long time do I get any specific aromatic notes of tequila.
In the mouth: Astringent and tart on the entrance, though this quickly yields to richer notes of cacao, coffee, and the most delightful drying woody note. Balsamic vinegar makes an appearance, as does a spicy and rich note of Mexican chocolate. This lingers with a drying, off-bitter note that sits somewhere between wood and cocoa. There’s a subtle, lingering umami note of tomato-based BBQ sauce in here as well. Texturally, a residual, woody warmth lingers on the top of the mouth.

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