Westland Wine Cask Single Malt 700ML

Westland Wine Cask Single Malt 700ML is a 46% ABV American single malt whiskey finished in Washington State wine casks, produced in Seattle. Ranked #20 on Whisky Advocate's Top 20 Whiskeys of 2024 with a 92-point score in blind tasting, this expression stands as one of the most compelling arguments for the Pacific Northwest as serious whiskey country.

Quick Facts: ABV: 46% (92 proof)  |  Origin: Seattle, Washington, USA  |  NAS  |  Distillery: Westland Distillery

Production & Heritage

Westland Distillery operates out of Seattle, Washington, and has positioned itself at the forefront of the American single malt movement. The whiskey begins with a distinctive five-malt mashbill — Washington Select Pale Malt, Munich Malt, Extra Special Malt, Brown Malt, and Pale Chocolate Malt — fermented with Belgian brewer's yeast over an extended 96- to 144-hour cycle that develops considerable depth before distillation. What separates the Wine Cask expression from others in Westland's core lineup is the finishing period in locally sourced Washington State wine casks, including barrels that previously held Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Tempranillo, and Washington Red Blend — a deliberate integration of Pacific Northwest wine terroir into the whiskey's character.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The nose opens with allspice and raspberry reduction, followed by chocolate wafer and dried rose. With time in the glass, jammy blackberries, baked apples, grain sweetness, and banana bread emerge, revealing the complexity of the wine cask influence layered over that five-malt backbone.

Taste: The palate arrives with a rich chocolate-raspberry turnover quality that carries through the mid-palate alongside Earl Grey tea and dried strawberry. Deeper sipping reveals apples, pecans, apricots, buttered popcorn, and vanilla malt — a wide flavor spectrum that speaks to both the diverse mashbill and the variety of wine cask types used in finishing.

Finish: The finish is medium-long, with tea tannins providing gentle structure alongside cherry cough drops and lingering chocolate. The tannic grip from the wine casks gives this whiskey a dry, almost vinous send-off that invites the next sip.

How to Drink Westland Wine Cask

Neat at room temperature is the ideal way to experience the full range of wine-cask influence; a few drops of water open up the fruit and floral aromatics further. The 46% ABV holds up well with a single large ice cube for those who prefer a chilled pour. In cocktails, this expression brings a unique berry-and-chocolate dimension: try it in a Manhattan, where the wine tannins complement sweet vermouth beautifully; in a Blood and Sand, where its raspberry and chocolate notes amplify the cocktail's fruit-forward character; or in a Boulevardier, where the dried strawberry and tea tannins play against Campari's bitterness with real sophistication.

Best For

• Wine enthusiasts exploring the crossover between Washington wine culture and American whiskey
• Gifting to a whiskey collector interested in the emerging American single malt category
• After-dinner sipping alongside chocolate-based desserts
• Side-by-side tastings comparing Westland's core range expressions

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Westland Wine Cask taste like? It leads with chocolate and raspberry flavors, supported by Earl Grey tea, dried strawberry, and vanilla malt, with a finish defined by tea tannins and cherry notes. The wine cask finishing gives it a lightly tannic, vinous quality uncommon in American whiskey.

How does Westland Wine Cask compare to Westward Single Malt? Both are Pacific Northwest American single malts, but Westland uses a five-malt mashbill and Belgian brewer's yeast in Seattle, while Westward Whiskey distills from a two-row pale malt with ale yeast in Portland, Oregon. Westland Wine Cask's wine-barrel finishing gives it a distinctly fruit-forward, tannic profile compared to Westward's more straightforwardly malty, caramel-driven character.

Is Westland Wine Cask good for sipping neat? At 46% ABV without chill filtration, it drinks smoothly neat and reveals layered fruit, chocolate, and tea flavors that reward patient sipping. A few drops of water can further open the aromatic complexity.

Where is Westland Wine Cask made? Westland Wine Cask is distilled and matured at Westland Distillery in Seattle, Washington. The wine casks used for finishing are sourced from Washington State wineries, tying the whiskey directly to the Pacific Northwest wine region.

What foods pair well with Westland Wine Cask? Dark chocolate truffles mirror the chocolate and berry notes naturally; aged Gouda complements the caramel and dried fruit tones; duck breast with a berry reduction echoes the raspberry and allspice aromatics; roasted lamb with herbs aligns with the tea-tannin finish; and fig-and-walnut tarts bridge the gap between the whiskey's fruit and nutty malt character.

What sizes does Westland Wine Cask come in? The standard offering is a 700ml bottle, which is the primary format available in most markets.

Is Westland Wine Cask worth the price? Positioned as a core-range expression within Westland's lineup, it sits in the mid-premium tier for American single malts. Its 92-point Whisky Advocate score and multiple Gold Medals from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and New York International Spirits Competition provide strong critical validation for its price point.

Why Westland Wine Cask?

This is not simply a whiskey with a wine-cask finish bolted on for marketing novelty. Westland's use of multiple Washington State wine barrel types — Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Tempranillo, and Red Blend — creates a layered, terroir-driven expression that genuinely connects two of the Pacific Northwest's strongest agricultural traditions. Its ranking at #20 on Whisky Advocate's Top 20 Whiskeys of 2024, earned through blind tasting at 92 points, confirms that the approach delivers real quality rather than just a compelling story. For anyone tracking the American single malt category as it continues to gain official recognition and momentum, this bottle represents one of the movement's most distinctive and well-executed ideas.