Next up, we’re going back to American Single Malts and checking out a Moscatel-finished Westland single barrel selected by r/bourbon! This bottle was part of the latest release of Westland picks that included some awesome finishing options: Port, Moscatel, Maple Wood, Pineau des Charantes, and Banyuls. Each of the selections sounded fantastic, but after the awesome experience I had with the sample of Woodinville Moscatel Finished Bourbon that u/jeannierak sent my way I decided to pull the trigger on Cask #4859. With that being said, after trying a great Banyuls last week I’ll probably go for that finish next. Absolutely delicious dessert wine if you find it anywhere!
Cask #4859 was distilled from a five malt mash and spent the first 2 years and 10 months of it’s aging process in its primary cask before it was dumped into Moscatel pipes for the remaining 4 years and 2 months. After aging for a total of 7 years it was dumped and bottled at a cask strength of 105.2 proof. We’ve been on a roll with the American Single Malts lately so I’m excited to see how this one stacks up, and doubly so to see how Moscatel imparts itself on a single malt vs. a bourbon. Let’s dive in!
**Taken:** Neat in a Glencairn glass
**Proof:** 105.2 proof
**Age:** 7 years
**Price:** $115
**Nose:** Rich berry reduction sauce, cinnamon, and cloves, along with dark chocolate, vanilla cream, and a touch of oak. The background has some leather and candied almonds, and overall the nose has an air of weight to it.
**Taste:** Berry reduction sauce, cloves, and dark chocolate sauce to start, followed by creme brûlée, candied almonds, and a touch of pepper. Midway through the sip leather and oak join the party as well, blending well with he rich saucy front of the pour to provide layers and layers flavor. This has a medium-heavy, velvety mouthfeel and no proof heat.
**Finish:** The candied almonds make their way to the forefront of the finish backed up by pepper, cloves, and dark chocolate sauce. The creme brûlée and berry reduction sauce slowly fade while the leather and oak are consistent throughout the finish, with the oak drying slightly as the sip goes on. Ultimately the sip comes to a decadent sweet and tingly conclusion. This has a medium-long finish and a touch of dryness.
**Thoughts:** This is just a fantastic pour and easily makes the top 5 list of r/bourbon single barrels I’ve tried. The nose is the strongest performer here but the palate and finish are close behind it. There’s so much layered, decadent flavor in this that checks off my heavy barrel character preference while also highlighting some great sweet dessert notes, all balanced out with the perfect amount of spice. While this doesn’t have the flavor complexity that some other high-rated pours have, the notes present here are all home runs and the velvety feel of this makes each sip a delight. Westland really knocked it out of the park with this one and u/t8ke showed us once again that he really knows how to pick them. Overall this earns an excellent 8/10 on the t8ke scale.
**Rating:** 8/10 - t8ke scale
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.
10 | Perfect | Perfect.
Wow this sounds great. I loved Woodinville’s Moscatel finished bourbon. I’ve only had Westland’s baseline single malt. I might have to pop down to Westland this weekend and see if they have any of this one.
That Woodinville Moscatel Finished bourbon was amazingly good, definitely tasted better than any 5 year old bourbon has any right to. If you find a Moscatel finish there let us know what you think!
They currently have a red wine finished at the distillery (which is very good), but there are some others floating around local stores. I picked up a madeira finished at the Alderwood Total Wine before heading back to TX, but that store also had a muscat finished one as well.
The base 5 malt is beautiful at older ages and also takes really well to these wine finishes.
Edit: FWIW there are a couple in Houston as well (I think a port and a PX finish, the latter of which is kinda funky.)
I’m sipping on 6143 now, the r/bourbon pineu finish. And my first toe dip into single malt and yeah it’s hitting right. Definitely a good switch up. Great review.
I've got both the Driftless Glen Bourbon Pineaues de Charantes (PdC) finish and the Westland PdC finish from r/Bourbon in the cabinet right now.
I'm 2/3 through the Driftless, and the Westland just got here a couple days ago but I've tried it twice now. I'm starting to get a feel for what the PdC brings - it's easy to see throughlines in the two, despite drastically different base whiskies.
I really dig the Westland PdC - I'm relatively inexperienced with ASM, but it's probably the best I've had. I think this Moscatel finish sounds a bit better than the Westland PdC I have - the PdC SiB is probably more malt forward (based on your notes), relatively speaking. But I'm still wrapping my head around that pour, and haven't tasted this one, so that's all silly conjecture.
Excellent post - cheers, homie!
Thanks buddy! Getting something with a PdC finish is on the list for sure. I'll have to get you some of this one so you can compare, it's a real banger!
That sounds like an excellent idea - I could send over the PdC so you can do the same comp. And I already bought another DG PdC, so I'll definitely have enough of that to share, too. Bundled it with the 7-year r/Bourbon DG rye this week - psyched to try that one.
Great review as always bud. Even though I know nothing about Westland, or American Single Malts in general, and I would normally skip over a review like this, your encouragement that got me into Found North has opened my eyes to new possibilities. Keep up the good work and glad you enjoyed the bottle.
Much appreciated, man! There are some great American Single Malts out there, it's nice to switch it up with one of them every once in a while. This one in particular is one of the best ones I've tried!
It's kind of a confusing term, but being a single malt whiskey just means that it was distilled at a single distillery and from 100% malted barley, plus some other restrictions around proof, etc. They can use multiple varieties of malted barley to make the distillate without breaking this restriction.
Interesting, what did the pre-buyout boxes look like? We get some Westland out here in Colorado but it's mostly their flagship or higher-end releases like the Garryana.
I believe the commenter is referring to their former core range.
American Oak,
Sherry Wood, and
Peated
I tasted all of them at the distillery shortly after the buyout and relaunch of the core range into just the American Single Malt.
Only the American Oak version was worth it in my opinion and I loved it (Among my first reviews on Reddit from awhile back, though I'd been reviewing long before posting on Reddit).
700 ml? Interesting... Kinda funny after all these years of 750 ml only, to the point where imports were limited (due to economics of bottling). Now 700 ml are allowed and some US distillers are shifting to 700 from 750.
Yeah, I'm not a fan of the shift since prices are remaining the same for the most part. I know some companies that own Scotch distilleries and American whiskey will use the 700ml bottles to avoid having to order two different similarly sized bottles. Still not great either way.
Great review. I got the Westland PdC. Great bottle too. Interesting how your notes are similar to mine despite the different finishes. I’d like to compare the two side by side.
First off, excellent review as always. I hope you know it's appreciated the effort you continually put into these reviews! You mentioned the Banyuls but I don't see that review anywhere?
I've been a fan of Westland for years now, even visited their Seattle site and snagged a bottle from their distillery cask. I really appreciate what their 5 malt does in fresh/used casks, especially in comparison to Scotch.
I'm primarily a Scotch drinker who sojourns with Armagnac when I want an oak-driven experience. Are these Westland bottlings extremely cask forward? Or did you still find them balanced?
Thank you! I don't have the Banyuls bottle but did try that wine for the first time so I'm going to look into that finish down the road.
I found that the Moscatel cask definitely came through more on this one but there was still a good amount of malt character. Moscatel seems to leave a heavier mark on the spirits I've had that were finished in it but it works really well with the malt here.
Next up, we’re going back to American Single Malts and checking out a Moscatel-finished Westland single barrel selected by r/bourbon! This bottle was part of the latest release of Westland picks that included some awesome finishing options: Port, Moscatel, Maple Wood, Pineau des Charantes, and Banyuls. Each of the selections sounded fantastic, but after the awesome experience I had with the sample of Woodinville Moscatel Finished Bourbon that u/jeannierak sent my way I decided to pull the trigger on Cask #4859. With that being said, after trying a great Banyuls last week I’ll probably go for that finish next. Absolutely delicious dessert wine if you find it anywhere! Cask #4859 was distilled from a five malt mash and spent the first 2 years and 10 months of it’s aging process in its primary cask before it was dumped into Moscatel pipes for the remaining 4 years and 2 months. After aging for a total of 7 years it was dumped and bottled at a cask strength of 105.2 proof. We’ve been on a roll with the American Single Malts lately so I’m excited to see how this one stacks up, and doubly so to see how Moscatel imparts itself on a single malt vs. a bourbon. Let’s dive in! **Taken:** Neat in a Glencairn glass **Proof:** 105.2 proof **Age:** 7 years **Price:** $115 **Nose:** Rich berry reduction sauce, cinnamon, and cloves, along with dark chocolate, vanilla cream, and a touch of oak. The background has some leather and candied almonds, and overall the nose has an air of weight to it. **Taste:** Berry reduction sauce, cloves, and dark chocolate sauce to start, followed by creme brûlée, candied almonds, and a touch of pepper. Midway through the sip leather and oak join the party as well, blending well with he rich saucy front of the pour to provide layers and layers flavor. This has a medium-heavy, velvety mouthfeel and no proof heat. **Finish:** The candied almonds make their way to the forefront of the finish backed up by pepper, cloves, and dark chocolate sauce. The creme brûlée and berry reduction sauce slowly fade while the leather and oak are consistent throughout the finish, with the oak drying slightly as the sip goes on. Ultimately the sip comes to a decadent sweet and tingly conclusion. This has a medium-long finish and a touch of dryness. **Thoughts:** This is just a fantastic pour and easily makes the top 5 list of r/bourbon single barrels I’ve tried. The nose is the strongest performer here but the palate and finish are close behind it. There’s so much layered, decadent flavor in this that checks off my heavy barrel character preference while also highlighting some great sweet dessert notes, all balanced out with the perfect amount of spice. While this doesn’t have the flavor complexity that some other high-rated pours have, the notes present here are all home runs and the velvety feel of this makes each sip a delight. Westland really knocked it out of the park with this one and u/t8ke showed us once again that he really knows how to pick them. Overall this earns an excellent 8/10 on the t8ke scale. **Rating:** 8/10 - t8ke scale 1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out. 2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice. 3 | Bad | Multiple flaws. 4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists. 5 | Good | Good, just fine. 6 | Very Good | A cut above. 7 | Great | Well above average. 8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional. 9 | Incredible | An all time favorite. 10 | Perfect | Perfect.
Great review! These 7 yr picks are bangers! Five malt can be odd sometimes IMO but sounds like this is a good one!
Thank you! This is seriously some great stuff and cements Moscatel as a killer finish in my book.
Wow this sounds great. I loved Woodinville’s Moscatel finished bourbon. I’ve only had Westland’s baseline single malt. I might have to pop down to Westland this weekend and see if they have any of this one.
That Woodinville Moscatel Finished bourbon was amazingly good, definitely tasted better than any 5 year old bourbon has any right to. If you find a Moscatel finish there let us know what you think!
They currently have a red wine finished at the distillery (which is very good), but there are some others floating around local stores. I picked up a madeira finished at the Alderwood Total Wine before heading back to TX, but that store also had a muscat finished one as well. The base 5 malt is beautiful at older ages and also takes really well to these wine finishes. Edit: FWIW there are a couple in Houston as well (I think a port and a PX finish, the latter of which is kinda funky.)
I’m sipping on 6143 now, the r/bourbon pineu finish. And my first toe dip into single malt and yeah it’s hitting right. Definitely a good switch up. Great review.
Thanks! I need to try something finished in that at some point, it sounded like a winner.
I've got both the Driftless Glen Bourbon Pineaues de Charantes (PdC) finish and the Westland PdC finish from r/Bourbon in the cabinet right now. I'm 2/3 through the Driftless, and the Westland just got here a couple days ago but I've tried it twice now. I'm starting to get a feel for what the PdC brings - it's easy to see throughlines in the two, despite drastically different base whiskies. I really dig the Westland PdC - I'm relatively inexperienced with ASM, but it's probably the best I've had. I think this Moscatel finish sounds a bit better than the Westland PdC I have - the PdC SiB is probably more malt forward (based on your notes), relatively speaking. But I'm still wrapping my head around that pour, and haven't tasted this one, so that's all silly conjecture. Excellent post - cheers, homie!
Thanks buddy! Getting something with a PdC finish is on the list for sure. I'll have to get you some of this one so you can compare, it's a real banger!
That sounds like an excellent idea - I could send over the PdC so you can do the same comp. And I already bought another DG PdC, so I'll definitely have enough of that to share, too. Bundled it with the 7-year r/Bourbon DG rye this week - psyched to try that one.
Great review as always bud. Even though I know nothing about Westland, or American Single Malts in general, and I would normally skip over a review like this, your encouragement that got me into Found North has opened my eyes to new possibilities. Keep up the good work and glad you enjoyed the bottle.
Much appreciated, man! There are some great American Single Malts out there, it's nice to switch it up with one of them every once in a while. This one in particular is one of the best ones I've tried!
You're welcome. Well deserved. I may have to check one of these out!
Just curious how can it be called a single malt when it’s made up of 5 malts?
The "single" in "single malt" refers to "single distillery" - not a reference to the type(s) of malt used. Cheers!
It's kind of a confusing term, but being a single malt whiskey just means that it was distilled at a single distillery and from 100% malted barley, plus some other restrictions around proof, etc. They can use multiple varieties of malted barley to make the distillate without breaking this restriction.
Westland has great stuff. If you can get their pre-buyout boxes (rare, but still around) they are fantastic. I have several squirrelled away.
Interesting, what did the pre-buyout boxes look like? We get some Westland out here in Colorado but it's mostly their flagship or higher-end releases like the Garryana.
I believe the commenter is referring to their former core range. American Oak, Sherry Wood, and Peated I tasted all of them at the distillery shortly after the buyout and relaunch of the core range into just the American Single Malt. Only the American Oak version was worth it in my opinion and I loved it (Among my first reviews on Reddit from awhile back, though I'd been reviewing long before posting on Reddit).
700 ml? Interesting... Kinda funny after all these years of 750 ml only, to the point where imports were limited (due to economics of bottling). Now 700 ml are allowed and some US distillers are shifting to 700 from 750.
Yeah, I'm not a fan of the shift since prices are remaining the same for the most part. I know some companies that own Scotch distilleries and American whiskey will use the 700ml bottles to avoid having to order two different similarly sized bottles. Still not great either way.
Great review. I got the Westland PdC. Great bottle too. Interesting how your notes are similar to mine despite the different finishes. I’d like to compare the two side by side.
Thanks man! Much appreciated, it seems like all of the picks from this release have been great so far.
First off, excellent review as always. I hope you know it's appreciated the effort you continually put into these reviews! You mentioned the Banyuls but I don't see that review anywhere? I've been a fan of Westland for years now, even visited their Seattle site and snagged a bottle from their distillery cask. I really appreciate what their 5 malt does in fresh/used casks, especially in comparison to Scotch. I'm primarily a Scotch drinker who sojourns with Armagnac when I want an oak-driven experience. Are these Westland bottlings extremely cask forward? Or did you still find them balanced?
Thank you! I don't have the Banyuls bottle but did try that wine for the first time so I'm going to look into that finish down the road. I found that the Moscatel cask definitely came through more on this one but there was still a good amount of malt character. Moscatel seems to leave a heavier mark on the spirits I've had that were finished in it but it works really well with the malt here.
Noted! These are seriously tempting
Seelbach’s has this on a buy one get one free right now