Westland Flagship American Single Malt

What do you know....I knew I didn't review this. Nose - ginger, malt, cake, barely, oak....complex, confusing....and not very good. There' honey and tea and all kinds of weird notes but ultimately. It's young oak and malt doing god knows what. It's fun to nose and I don't dislike it, but it's nothing special. Taste - Sweet upfront malts. I want to say this is honey comb cereal meets alcohol and young oak over tones. But there's more here. Some mint and some herbal notes. Caramel for sure. A lot of odd oaks Ok so this is complex stuff but it's not that good. It's not bad. I like it but I'm just not sure how to explain all these flavors as not being better than they are. I'm giving it a 2.25 which is higher than my enjoyment but I think the complexity needs to be respected. If you can try this....it's an interesting american single malt choice. But get the sherry or peated first....imo they're better.

Tasting neat. Average coating legs and golden copper-brown in the glass. Nose is floral grain, pine resin, and sweet chocolate malt. In the mouth, chocolate malt, pine resin aromatics, grain, and mint/peppery spice. Mouthfeel is thin but warming (not hot), especially as the finish progresses into sweet maple syrup and raisins, and then warm tingling spices with just a hint of oak and smoke. Fairly long finish turns clean and soft. An ice cube takes down the spiciness--not a particularly good thing. One of the early leaders in crafting American single malts, and this is their "flagship" whiskey. Well worth searching out and trying, along with other American single malts like Westward and Stranahans. All is not bourbon on the continent. Cheers!

NEAT NOSE - Malted Barley, Cereal Grains and Honey PALATE - Very pleasant and sweet, but balanced. Lots of honey and cereal grains on the palate with some raisin or plum on the midpalate. FINISH - Long. The finish transitions into cocoa on the back of the palate with a hint of peat that dissapears rather quickly only for the honey to reemerge BUY? - Yes. I think it’s a worthy flagship for Westland and a great introduction to American Single Malts. BUY AGAIN? - Probably not. I don’t drink ASM enough.

An elegant, American Single Malt from Seattle, Washington aged for 40 months in new & used barrels, ex-Bourbon & ex-Oloroso casks, bottled at 46% ABV. It has an aromatic birth with notes of grains, wood, fruits, flowers, nuts, herbs & spices; while a rich & slightly creamy life adds notes of marionberry compote, custard, toasted marshmallow, maple brittle & malted milk balls; that led to a warm & balanced death of medium length adding notes of oak, almond nougat, crème brûlée & black tea.

All the makings if a great single malt. Reminds me if a highlands style with sherry and smoke in good balance. The new American oak ads a dry, leathery, and astringent element. I find this to be the key thing that sets AMSW apart from Scotch, and it comes wirj the risk of overpowering the more delicate barley distilate. I think Westland got it right here, but I think this will get better with age.

Nose: Vanilla, Honey, Coconuts, Raisins, Figs, Apricots, Dates, Strawberries, Sultanas, Cherry Cola, Lavender, Brown Sugar, Pecans, Smoke, Brown Butter Cookie Dough, Bubble Gum Palate: Raisins, Raspberries, Pineapples, Lavender, White Chocolate, Coconuts, Figs, Toasted Almonds, Prunes, Dark Chocolate, Smoke Finish: Honey, Raisins, Raspberries, Red Apples, Lavender, Vanilla, Bubble Gum