What counts as a Whisky Bonanza? 3 expressions? Come on now, that'd be a flight. What about 5 expressions? Maybe a whisky night perhaps. Try 8 expressions! Now, we're talking.

And so it wasn't just a few weeks ago that Westward's Asia Pacific Manager Margo Jamieson was in town to showcase some of the latest wares from Westward, a distillery from Portland, Oregon, US, that we're already familiar with and have been fans of since we last checked in with the distillery's Master Blender Miles Munroe.

A big shoutout to La Maison du Whisky for always putting on a great masterclass that's always incredibly engaging and informative, bringing you up close and personal with the very people behind the brands and bottles, and always making sure you're going to get to try something real cool. If you're big on spirits, I definitely recommend keeping an eye out on La Maison du Whisky's Instagram (here) for masterclasses, which have always been great for both the experience, and let's be real, always kept at great prices.

As a matter of a quick recap, Margo took us through the ethos of Westward, where the team says they brew it like a pale ale, distill it like a single malt and age it like a Bourbon. When asked what was it that gave rise to this characteristic fruity, chocolatey and super malty quality about its whiskies, Margo pointed to said Westward process.

In essence, the distillery (given its love for American pale ales) first starts off by brewing locally malted barley using ale yeast (Aha!) and at low fermentation times. Cold fermentation here is also done for much longer than is usual (here it's a whopping 6 days on average!), after which it is distilled twice in a custom low-reflex pot still, and then finally it is aged in heavily toasted and lightly charred American Oak barrels. This runs counter to conventional wisdom of using imported Scottish barley, brewing with distiller's yeast, using either a column still or a high-reflux pot still, and then as is Bourbon custom, to mature the whiskies in (relatively more lightly) charred new oak barrels for at least the first two years. 

Did you say Westward starters?

And then something very special to finish it off!

And with that said, we were taken through the classic Westward range - that's the Westward Original Single Malt, the Westward Pinot Noir Cask, the Westward Rum Cask and the Westward Cask Strength. After which, and here's where we venture into unchartered territories, we taste through a range of Westward Whiskey Club Exclusives - the Westward Chardonnay Cask, Ken's Artisan Sourdough Exclusive, Two Malts Rye - and then we finally cap off at the top of Mount Westward, with their latest Milestone Edition No. 1.

Follow along as we taste through a Westward Whiskey Bonanza!

Westward American Single Malt Whiskey Original, 45% ABV - Review

Tasting Notes 

Colour: Amber

Aroma: Intense aromas of raw chocolate, incredibly distinct and super aromatic. It really is a very unique one-of-a-kind aroma that is evocative of high grade chocolate sauce.

Taste: Medium-bodied here. It starts off with a burst of cola syrup, followed along by super rich chocolate. Vibrant and energetic, it has a phenomenal robustness, along with this raw maltiness that's buttery yet also incredibly cereal in quality. Finally an almost light grape-y note at the back that is reminiscent of tanghulu maltose coated grapes.

Finish: More on cacao husk, its more earthy here but also chocolatey in a raw kind of way, more of that chocolate sauce, with even a slight oiliness of chocolate. Its clean on the finish, yet has a lingering note of malty malteser candy or a chocolate malt drink. It's incredibly flavour forward and bold, putting forth more of an aroma and a flavour than a specific taste (such as sweetness or bitterness).

My Thoughts

An utterly impressive touchstone for Westward! Having tasted this numerous times, I always come back to it completely impressed at just how chocolate-y and malty it is, and yet at the back of the palate is this crystalline candied grape-y flavour that serves as just a totally perfect contrast. At the same time, the robustness on the body, the raw cereal quality and the vibrant fruitiness, it's just a gastronomic delight. This is a whiskey unlike any other, and that's no hyperbole. A total delight to revisit one of my all time favourites.

Westward American Single Malt Pinot Noir Cask, 45% ABV - Review

Here we've got the Westward single malt cask-finished for 2 years in Pinot Noir casks sourced from several producers in the Willamette Valley, which is one of America's beloved wine regions!

Tasting Notes 

Colour: Deep Amber

Aroma: The chocolate-y maltiness is still here, accompanied by a prominent bold and fruity scent of black grapes. It's well-defined on the nose, and with a good intensity to it.

Taste: Medium-bodied, it's giving bright and vibrant black grapes, more of those tanghulu grapes. Here the roles are swapped with the chocolate appearing at the back, coming off very creamy, with loads of oats and cereals. It's at the same time buoyant, not too heavy, and a little bit savoury in fact.

Finish: That black grape flavour persists all the way into the finish, here it's complemented by some brown sugar. It's all very plush and alittle confectionary, with a very gentle and elegant finish of black grape gummies.

My Thoughts

I really liked that here we still see that distinct Westward signature chocolate-y note to it, and whilst on the nose, it was still more earthy and malty forward, on the palate it was clear that the Pinot Noir had clearly influenced the whiskey in the best way possible. On the palate it had a good amount of punchiness to it, still very vibrant albeit less creamy and maybe alittle less in terms of depth, but oh boy, did it deliver those black grape notes in spades! That bold and big black grape fruitiness persisted into the finish and even took a more confectionary turn, with this final burst of black grape gummies. If that sounds good to you, and honestly why wouldn't it, this is something definitely worth checking out.

Westward American Single Malt Rum Cask Finish, 50% ABV - Review

Now we come to the rum cask finish - this one I'm told is very special because the idea came about from one of the distillery's investors also happening to own a rum distillery, Magdalena, in Guatemala. And so the idea came about to use some of that Grade A molasses rum casks from Magdalena in Guatemala to finish the Westward whiskey. Rum casks aren't new, but this connection certainly makes it that much more compelling!

Tasting Notes

Colour: Amber

Aroma: It opens to a much more candied and honeyed bouquet here. It's got some accents of oranges, tangerines, with a slight bit of banana to it too. It's alittle medicinal even, akin to traditional herb roots, with a slight herbal quality to it, along with more on orange blossoms. At the back there's just some of that cereal and oat too, even leaning into oat cream.

Taste: Medium-bodied here. It's citrus led, with an accompanying hit of white flowers, brown sugar, honey, more of that herbal honey too. There's also waves of vanilla sauce, banana bread, green bananas, and also some coconut flakes. It's bright yet has a good richness about it. It almost comes off rather candied and rounded.

Finish: That coconut quality pushes all the way into the finish, with alittle bit more of that cereal like oat, and then finally a soft finish of brown sugar syrup.

My Thoughts

This was a very interesting and quite honestly, a very different take on what we've seen from Westward. Here we get something more candied and honeyed, leaning more on tropical fruits and richer almost earthy notes of baked bread and even herbal roots. We don't get quite the same cereal quality we saw previously, yet this also at the same time feels very dreamy almost. It's richness and tropical fruitiness is very evocative of an idyllic holiday on an island getaway. I should also say that this was very aromatic, even on the palate, and has a mellow ebbing and flowing to it, that almost comes in waves, with a citrus accent outlining it. On the whole, I do like it very much, even though it's not immediately screaming Westward. This is a great summertime whiskey in my books.

Westward American Single Malt Cask Strength, 62.5% ABV - Review

Tasting Notes

Colour: Gold

Aroma: It starts off honeyed, but here's also a more herbal quality to it, it's giving Pei Pa Koa cough syrup, along with tangerines, heavy on the pineapples, and then also more of those traditional Chinese medicinal herbal shops, more herbal roots, with this really nostalgic and aromatic ointment scent.

Taste: More punchy here that's for sure! Immediately there's a strong hit of cough syrup that's giving some medicinal bitterness, perhaps dried angelica roots. It's backed by a sweeter and richer base of cola syrup, sarsaparilla, organic cola, that also comes with a very waxy oiliness to it.

Finish: Turns abit more dry here, with some light tobacco, more on cough syrup too, it's still alittle bit bitter, yet that let's up to a hit of sweet cola syrup. It's got such great power and oomph here, evoking a really deep warmth.

My Thoughts

It's rather surprising to me how the Cask Strength has given its own interpretation on the Westward signature profile! Here the earthiness of that cacao that we had on the flagship single malt is made that much more dry and earthy, and therefore transforms into something herbal and almost medicinal. The citrusy accent at the end is brought up front here and given a much more pronounced presence too. We're also getting alot more on cough syrup and organic cola here that brings out that depth where it comes to nuances of earthiness, whilst keeping that richness, and topping it off with more punchy stature!

Westward Whiskey Chardonnay Cask, 45% ABV - Review

Here Westward has employed the use of French Oak casks from Tonnellerie Nadalie in Ludon-Medoc, France, which had previously held white Chardonnay wine from California's Russian River Valley, and has thus finished their single malt in these Chardonnay casks for 1 year before bottling.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Amber

Aroma: A light layer of the chocolate malty note - we're back in Westward classic territory, it's even alittle bit oily of melted high quality chocolate. It then peels off to showcase something of acai, chocolate coated green grapes, it's also giving lots of oats and cereal. Its just really giving big acai bowl energy here.

Taste: Very rich here, there's layers of that creaminess, a sort of cereal or oat cream note to it. There's a softer touch of that chocolate maltiness, yet it's still very present, and then at the base is a floor of green grape essence, a sort of cream cake made of green grapes.

Finish: An ongoing fragrance of that green grapes, yet alittle bit of that ale like buttery and savoury sweetness, it's almost confectionary even. Then there's that elegant fruitiness thats backed by more cereal and chocolate.

My Thoughts

I found this - not just incredibly tasty - but also demonstrating a whole lot of balance here. The chocolate maltiness is still prominent, yet here it's softer and tempered by a more present and vibrant fruitiness. It's less punchy, yet still keeps on being flavour forward. It does forsake a little bit of definition, and might really get to its full potential at a higher proof, but here it's also kept a nice warm creaminess. Stellar stuff!

Westward Whiskey x Ken's Artisan Sourdough, 45% ABV - Review

As if all the experimentation Westward has done wasn't enough! They've now gone and reached out to James Beard awarded baker Ken Forkish for a collab! And so what we've got here - no, it's not a sourdough cask, whatever that could possibly be - instead what Westward has done is to use the bakery's French sourdough levain in place of the distillery's house pale ale yeast. The final whiskey is thus a blend of four different vintages from when the distillery first started its sourdough experiments in 2020.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Gold

Aroma: Big on the malt biscuits, oat cream, all those lovely rustic cereal notes. It comes accompanied by that lovely bunch of green fruits - green grapes, gooseberries. It's still really chocolate-y, though here it's alittle softer. It's bright and aromatic, with a really good intensity about it. It has a light cereal sweetness too, and almost a slight scent of beer even. Overall, very creamy and cereal forward, accented by green fruits. 

Taste: Medium-bodied here, nice pick up in intensity. There's that green grapes and oat cream. It's gently sweet with a light savouriness, very rich flavours with a good depth to it. It has a really deep sweetness in fact, yet with this light sourness of beer. It's all backed up by lots of honey and rich creaminess that gives it a fuller flavour.

Finish: Some light savouriness here of toasted oat and cereal. Light sourness, some chocolates in here too. It's even alittle bit doughy, with a very deep warmth. It's giving cookie dough.

My Thoughts

Very interesting here! I'm always incredibly excited to try something that takes me out of any reference marks, and so this was definitely one of the expressions I was really looking forward to trying - and it did not disappoint! In particular, I really enjoyed the nose on this one, it's a blast of fresh and vibrant green fruits along with a richer and more creamy base of cereals. On the palate, it had a really nice intensity to it, and then interestingly it sort of reminded me of a more cereal forward version of the Cask Strength. It was a two part flavour punch of the same green grapes and oat cream, solid work here. Into the finish there was abit more of that dough-y quality sans the dough of course, but very interestingly (and tastily) gave cookie dough!

Westward Whiskey Two Malts Rye, 45% ABV - Review

We now come to Westward's Two Malts Rye, this is 88% Malted Barley and 12% Malted Rye that comes from Great Western Malting.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Gold

Aroma: The chocolate maltiness is back! Here it's joined by clover honey, almost alittle floral and herbal, not all that sweet, yet with a good richness. More on orange blossoms. With time, the florals continue to build up into a really aromatic and fresh bouquet.

Taste: More of that creaminess and maltiness, it's got a really good intensity to it. There's honey, orange blossoms, with some green fruits beginning to emerge - green apples and green pears. Some apricots too. Lots of those butter cookies here, with a light layer of cinnamon and nutmeg. Some dusting of white pepper too.

Finish: Really good warmth powering into the finish. Some lingering notes of honey, tangerines and orange blossoms.

My Thoughts

This gave a whole new dimension to rye whiskies as I've known them - now of course there's barley in here too, so it isn't all rye of course - but here we find something so rich, so supple, so rounded, incredibly mellow and approachable. Wow! And yet at the same time we still find some of that rye identity, the white pepper and herbal qualities that we tend to find with ryes, they're there but executed with an inordinate amount of richness. That said, I do kind of which we could take all of that and give it a bit more punchiness to really swing for the fences. Nevertheless, a very lovely whiskey that is so candied, think pear drops or apple drops, with just an edge of spiciness, outlined by some orange peels!

Westward Whiskey Milestone Edition No. 1, 43% ABV - Review

Ah, we finally reach the peak of Mount Westward! And here we have the Milestone Edition No. 1. This is going to be the top of the line Westward moving forward, and will become an annual release. What is very unique about this release though is that this has been made through a 21-barrel Solera system, which you might be familiar with if you're also into fortified Sherry wines.

A Solera system is a traditional method that's especially used in Spain and Portugal, as a means of creating an incredibly harmonious blend, the idea being to have numerous barrels stacked in layers atop each other, and then letting the contents of the barrel cascade from one layer of barrels to the next. So what happens then is that the blender takes some of the contents (here whiskey) of the lowest barrel, which is also the most aged, and then with whatever has been emptied, the same amount from the layer of barrels above, which are also younger, are now filled up into the barrels that have just been semi-emptied!

TLDR; The Solera system is a method of blending that's traditionally used in Spain and Portugal, and creates basically what is an infinity blend, where the alcohol is constantly and systematically filled from one barrel into the next barrel.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Deep Gold

Aroma: Opens up with lots of herbal honey, tangerines, orange blossoms, backed by a richer and darker base of cola syrup and sarsaparilla. With time there's more on toffee candy, milk chocolate and brown sugar syrup. It's richly aromatic, yet at the same time very mellow, with a nice balance to it of brighter and darker notes.

Taste: That mellowness translates to the palate. Lots of richness of honey, malt, with some of that cereal emerging, also some of that chocolate maltiness. It's incredibly smooth and rich here, with a well filled in body that's also not sinking. It's at once approachably gentle and buoyant yet almost candied and incredibly rich. Very creamy as well, with some oiliness to it. With time more of that oat cream comes through, accents of orange peels, as well as sticky toffee date pudding.

Finish: A touch of sourness here, almost like the custard side of the creme brulee, along with some more sweet and brighter notes of honey and tangerines. It's incredibly soft and rich into the finish, very plush and almost syrupy, with a lingering mellow sweetness and creaminess on the finish.

My Thoughts

Wow! This is so fascinating! The texture here is really something else, it almost reminds me of maltose candy or chewing on a ball of maltesers when it's melted on the palate, giving a combination of honeycomb and milk chocolate. It's incredibly candied, rich and supple. The flavours are incredibly harmonious and cohesive to say the least, prominent yet blending into one another. What also stood out to me was the balance here where for every richer and darker note there's an accent of brighter fruits, honey or custard. This is something that's truly worth closing your eyes and slowly letting it sit on the palate to fully appreciate. You can't approach this too hastily or you'd miss the whole point here - you've got to really embrace it and find your way around its body to which you'll find not a single edge of sharpness. Very impressive what Westward has achieved here!