Westward Oregon Straight Malt Whiskey is an original malt whiskey that is inspired by the Irish tradition, but crafted in a unique and distinctively American style. Every hand-numbered bottle begins with a wash of 100% locally-sourced Northwest two-row barley, which is then fermented with ale yeasts and double pot-distilled for exceptional character and depth. This rare spirit matures in full-size, two-char new American oak barrels for at least two years, allowing Oregon’s dry, hot summers and wet, cold winters to contribute to its rich, smooth flavor.

This whiskey is a sneak preview of what’s possible from a good craft distiller. Made from 100% malted barley grown in the Pacific Northwest, aged in lightly charred full size American oak barrels, this two year old malt whiskey is young, but definitely not unremarkable. Medium amber in color, the nose on the Westward Whiskey showcases a nice light barley note along with maple, honey, vanilla, light cinnamon, and oak.  Unlike many of the recent craft whiskeys we’ve tried that were aged in smaller barrels, the oak on the nose isn’t overly assertive and balances much better with the other aromas. The entry for the Westward Whiskey is barley forward, with honey, maple, cinnamon, caramel, ginger, dried fruit, and oak. If we didn’t know better, we’d think that this was a small batch Irish whiskey rather than small batch American. There’s a nice lushness to the mouthfeel and really solid balance to the flavors. Things are fairly consistent through the midpalate until the end when the spice spikes.