Westland 9yo

Westland 9yo

The Whisky Trail, Elixir Distillers
Single bourbon - Washington
Amber
56.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, roast pork, honey, magic marker, dried apricots, marmalade, hints of surgical spirit. With water, sandalwood, leather, dried apricots. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, expands, astringent, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Lemon zest, marmalade, surgical spirit, leather, honey, cloves, sandalwood. With water, sandalwood, lemon zest, surgical spirit, marmalade. 
Finish: Short. Sandalwood, lemon zest, cloves, cinnamon. 

Comments: 

Rather herbal and floral for bourbon. Plenty of jammy notes too (not raisins or blackcurrant). Quite unusual, in that it’s still spirity after 9 years. Water brings out some more citrus.

Verdict:

I like this.

Copperworks Colour Cask (Colour Sherry Finish)

Copperworks Colour Cask (Colour Sherry Cask)

Official bottling
Single malt - Washington
Mahogany red 
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Coffee, dark chocolate, dunnage, raisins, sea salt, malted grains, white grapes, cloves, white pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, cool, mouth coating, volatile. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Raisins, white grapes, gooseberries, damson jam, dark chocolate, ink, dried apricots, cream. 
Finish: Long. Dried apricots, coffee, white grapes, dark chocolate, hints of dunnage. 

Comments: 

Beautiful colour, but the sherry notes are also well integrated with dark chocolate and dried apricots especially prominent  there’s an interesting hint of dunnage and dust, both on the nose and the finish.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Dry Fly Cask Strength Straight Wheat

Dry Fly Cask Strength Straight Wheat

Official bottling
Single grain - Washington

Orange gold
60.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pear drops, nail varnish, hoppy beer, shredded wheat, white pepper, honey. With water, white pepper, honey, lemon zest. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, hot, astringent, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Shredded wheat, white pepper, honey, nail varnish, hints of cornflakes. With water, nail varnish, white pepper, lemon zest. 
Finish: Short. Shredded wheat, ink, white pepper, nutmeg, apricots. 

Comments: 

Estery, volatile and fruity. Not very balanced for sure, but there is an interesting cereally note with plenty of peppery spice, especially once water is added. It ends in a short fruity finish.

Verdict:

I like this.

Westland Colere 3rd Edition

Westland Colere 3rd Edition

Official bottling
Single malt - Washington
Dark green gold
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Preserved lemons, heather, hay, fresh cut grass, malted grains, honeydew melons, white pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, expands, hot. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Preserved lemons, hay, fresh cut grass, honey, malted grains, peaches, hints of honeydew melons. 
Finish: Short. Hay, lemon zest, honey, malted grains, peaches. 

Comments: 

Grassy with lots of citrus and honey. A mild, slightly savoury distillate, and it’s stripped back with only a little wood influence. Very interesting indeed.

Verdict:

I like this.

Copperworks Special Release Single Cask 356 (TWE Exclusive)

Copperworks Special Release Single Cask 356 (TWE Exclusive)

Official bottling
Single malt - Washington
Amber
59.55% ABV
Dram

Nose: Brown paper, oatcakes, raisins, orange peel, cloves, sandalwood, hints of pencil lead. With water, brown sugar, raisins, orange peel, cream. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, tingly, volatile. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Orange peel, oatcakes, raisins, vanilla, cream, white grapes, sandalwood, hints of orange blossom. With water, brown sugar, raisins, cream, caramel. 
Finish: Medium. Gooseberries, cream, orange peel, orange blossom. 

Comments: 

Cask 356. Flinty but caramelly and sweet. Lots of orange in this, so much that it’s a bit like Glenfiddich. That’s where it loses points a little bit for me.

Verdict:

I like this.

Copperworks 3yo Batch 2

Copperworks 3yo Batch 2

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt
Single malt - Washington
Amber
62.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Strawberry jam, blackcurrant cordial, brown paper, black tea, raisins, cloves, menthol. With water, vanilla, strawberry jam, menthol, oatcakes. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, expands, hot, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Strawberry jam, black pepper, sourdough bread, menthol, raisins, cotton candy, blackcurrant cordial. With water, black tea, sourdough bread, raisins, strawberry jam. 
Finish: Short. Oatcakes, sourdough bread, raisins, brown paper. 

Comments: 

Highly peppery and sweet, good level of cereally notes. Tasty whisky from a distillery that I know very little about, would like to find out more.

Verdict:

I like this.

Westland Distillery Release Cask 2632

Westland Distillery Release Cask 2632

Official bottling 
Single malt - Washington
Amber, hints of bronze
57% ABV
Dram

Nose: Yeast extract, mushrooms, black tea, cinder toffee, sea salt, cough mixture, hints of raspberry jam. With water, camphor, winter melon, black tea. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Raisins, raspberry jam, menthol, winter melon, black tea, cinder toffee, blackcurrant jam, hints of leather, hints of strawberry laces. With water, cinder toffee, black tea, blackcurrant jam, hints of mushrooms. 
Finish: Long. Blackcurrant jam, strawberry laces, menthol, raisins. 

Comments: 

Savoury and slightly smoky, lots of fruit and menthol. It’s well layered and complex. I’ve always enjoyed Westlands, they’re among the best of the American single malts.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Westland American Oak Single Malt

Westland American Oak Single Malt

Official bottling 
Single malt - Washington
Amber bronze
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Clay dust, orange juice, sandalwood, vanilla, grapefruit, marmalade. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, slippery, cool. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Orange juice, sandalwood, chillies, marmalade, grapefruit, autumn leaves, hints of peanuts. 
Finish: Medium. Peanuts, grapefruit, autumn leaves, chillies, hints of sandalwood. 

Comments: 

Citrusy and slightly nutty American whisky. It’s not so well integrated though, there’s an earthiness that jars a little with the bright citrus notes. Some herbal fragrance on the tongue too.

Verdict:

I like this.

Westland Garryanna 5th Edition

Westland Garryanna 5th Edition 

Official bottling 
Single malt - Washington 
Dark gold, hints of copper
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, smoke, leather, peat, burning leaves, honey, cedar, hints of orange peel, hints of golden syrup. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, expands, warm. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Malted grains, golden syrup, Chinese angelica, orange peel, black tea, smoke, leather, hints of tobacco leaf. 
Finish: Long. Chinese angelica, tobacco leaf, leather, strawberries, golden syrup, cedar. 

Comments: 

Herbal and woody, lots of bitter flavours that meld very well together. There’s more than a little smoke as well, very pleasant and well constructed. This is excellent whisky, in an unusual style.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Copperworks American Single Malt Whiskey Release 020

Copperworks American Single Malt Whiskey Release 020

Official bottling 
Single malt - Washington
Amber
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Bananas, orange peel, membrillo, desiccated coconut, vanilla, hints of cocoa powder. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, tingly, airy. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Desiccated coconut, vanilla, tutti frutti, honey, bananas, blackcurrants, brown paper, cocoa powder. 
Finish: Short. Brown paper, desiccated coconut, orange peel, bananas, hints of tamarind. 

Comments: 

Young and spirity stuff. I don’t think this is even 3 years old. But there’s some decent complexity there which is promising. I hope they age these a little bit more, those fruity notes are quite enjoyable.

Verdict:

I like this.

Westland Cask 724

Westland Cask 724

Official bottling
Single malt - Washington
Amber red
57.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Mint, plums, cough mixture, fresh cut grass, hints of soy sauce. With water, lemon zest, green apples, sea salt. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, slightly oily, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Plums, cough mixture, cinnamon, hay, toast, hints of soy sauce. With water, sweeter, raisins, camphor, green apples. 
Finish: Long. Black tea, sea salt, cinnamon, red grapes. 

Comments: 

Intense, spicy, unctuous single malt. Very strong but also very drinkable. With water, it opens up, becoming more tart, and more herbal. Smells like an old herbal remedy my mother used to give me, for bruises.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Westland Sherry Wood

Westland Sherry Wood

Official bottling
Single malt - Washington
Amber
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, camphor, honey, ginger, hints of brine. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, loose, turns slightly watery. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Ginger, honey, candied orange, sea salt, fresh baked bread, hints of black tea. 
Finish: Long. Candied orange, white pepper, black tea, fresh baked bread. 

Comments: 

This whisky is very Christmassy, and somehow Caribbean. It reminds me of rum-spiked Jamaican fruit cake, chock full of candied ginger and allspice, fruity and boozy and spicy. Glorious flavours, gentle whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Westland Peated Whiskey

Westland Peated Whiskey

Official bottling
Single malt - Washington
Amber green
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, gooseberries, wood smoke, camphor, hints of peat, hints of cloves. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, turns watery, slightly tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Gooseberries, smoke, honey, peaches, pears, peat. 
Finish: Long. Peat, menthol, camphor, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

This American offering is not particularly peaty, despite it's name. Instead, gentle peat and smoke overlay a core of fruity, tart, spicy whisky. It's particularly good if you're not feeling like an aggressive peathead.

Verdict:

I like this.