SM.25.001
The East Meets West
SPIRIT DETAIL
BRAND: Westland
CLASSIFICATION: American Single Malt
AGE: 9 Year
MASH BILL: 100% malted barley
ALCOHOLIC CONTENT: 54.00% ABV | 108.00 proof
CASK INFO: 2 years in #3 char virgin American oak, 7 year 3 month second maturation in first-fill oloroso sherry hogshead | #4475
YIELD: 260 bottles
ENVIRONMENT: Seattle, WA
TASTING NOTES
NOSE: Dark chocolate, stewed plums, subtle salinity, roasted walnuts, candied red fruits, praline, sherry tannins, whisper of smoke
PALATE: Rich sherry tannins, roasted nuts, pleasant bitterness, brown sugar, sun dried fruits, bing cherries, hawthorns, subtle mint
FINISH: Long lingerer, mocha, silky tannins, underpinning apricots, subtle BBQ spices, mint chocolate chip, communion wine
CASE USE: Nightcap | With any cigar
BEHIND THE BOTTLE
American Single Malt (ASM): officially recognized category of whiskey in America, made of from 100% malted barley, distilled entirely at one distillery, and aged in oak barrels. It must be mashed, distilled, and aged in the U.S., and aged in oak barrels not exceeding 700 liters. With that out of the way, let’s talk about this pick.
Westland, a distillery based out of Seattle that has been established since 2010. Allocated has had their Flagship whiskey in our shop for a bit, and it’s great and great for the price. Nothing mind-blowing but also nothing to scoff at. Long calls it an ‘unconfused single malt that’s made in America.’ What he means by that is, we can talk about the other obvious single malts in the market and on the rack, however- who are they selling to? Single malt drinkers? Bourbon or Rye drinkers? Don’t think so. With Westland utilizing a 5-malt base for their whiskies and entertaining a lot of different casks, Long does believe that this is an American Single Malt brand targeting the Scotch Single Malt drinkers.
Fast forward to Ylli, Long and Scott going down to pick a single cask in Seattle. With the mindset that their whiskies are good, they had no idea what they were walking into…First thing Long had to address was pricing. With a new category and the team wanting people to fall in love with ASM, they’ve seen picks for $100-$130 on the market, they knew we wanted it closer to the $100 mark. God Bless Maximilien Pats, National Brand Manager for America, he ensured we’d get it even lower than that so we can really pop it off in AK.
After the most technical and beautifully structured tour, it was time to do the pick. They all walked into a conference room with 13 bottles laid out with a spreadsheet. Long proceeds to build out the first flight. Dead silence in the room for 20 minutes, it was time. Ylli and Long both shifted the same glass forward. It was a no brainer. If the team was picking an ASM for Scotch drinkers, it’s game over.
Recapping the trip, the team really had two things to say. One- Westland’s core expressions are great, but their single casks are mind-blowing. Two- Westland and Allocated are two of the same. A bunch of passionate whisky nerds who have strong morals and ethics about whisky for good (community and sustainability). Nothing but love.
Pick Contributors: Ylli (AWGF), Long (The Don), Scott M.
Tasting Notes Contributors: AWGF, The Don, The King, The Muscle, Scott M.
AVAILABLE NOW AT ALLOCATED!
$79.99