If you don't have the three of four minutes to read our entire review of this whiskey, we will cut to the chase. This is quite possibly the best single malt whiskey we have tasted in 2024. Now, if you want to know why then keep reading. The Westward Single Malt Whiskey is what they call their original whiskey. It is 100% malted barley from the Pacific Northwest and aged in heavy and light charred oak barrels. The great northwest is known for exceptional barley crops and that is evident in what we are tasting today.
Medium to dark copper in color, this single malt whiskey carries distintive aromas and flavors that represent the waters of the Pacific Northwest, which is the foundation for what Westward produces. Aromas include a basket of fresh picked peaches, orange bitters, maple candy, roasted nuts, lemon-lime soda and tree bark. There is a lot going on here! In the mouth is a mesmerizing and colorful palate consisting of caramelized sugar, peaches, lemon zest, macadamia nut, hints of caramel and hay field. It's mouth filling and you embrace this with each sip. The finish is on the fruity and floral side and is absolutely stunningly smooth.
We take several factors into consideration when determining an overall "score" for a bottle. We always tell folks not to get too caught up in scores. Hopefully our descriptions will tell the story. The bottled product, packaging, label, availability, price, value and more go into helping us calculate a score. This one is nearly perfect in the single malt whiskey category. It's absolutely a standout and delicious.
ABV: 45.0% (90 proof)
Distillery: Westward Whiskey Distillery
Suggested retail price: $74.95
Drink The Bottles score: 99/100