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You must be 21 or over to enter this website. If you're not old enough to drink, then you're not old enough to read Breaking Bourbon.
Please read and drink responsibly.
Utilizing various barrel types, Westland American Single Malt Whiskey delivers a great flavor profile.
Located in Seattle, Washington, Westland Distillery focuses on 100% malted whiskeys. The brand's standard flagship whiskey is aptly named Westland American Single Malt Whiskey and Westland uses a combination of barrel types to age this whiskey, which includes first fill ex-bourbon barrels. The whiskey is approachable and inviting on the nose. Scents of chocolate custard, coffee beans, and sweet raisins wake up the senses. The sip brings a tasty combination of chocolate, toasted marshmallows, dark coffee, and a welcome smokiness. It’s thin but flavorful and the finish is surprisingly long, with sweet toasted marshmallows and smoky wood contrasting robust spice. This is a solid malt at an affordable price to start exploring the malt whiskey category.
A Good Match For: Those who haven’t explored the American malt whiskey category yet
Not a Good Match For: Those who prefer non-finished barrels used in the production of malted whiskey
MSRP: $60
Buy from: Frootbat
A nuanced and complex single malt that is an easy drinker despite what its proof may suggest.
Balcones has made a name for themselves diving into the American single malt scene long before others did. Of the many single malt releases Balcones offers, Mirador is perhaps the most accessible for a wide range of whiskey drinkers. It has an earthy undertone, but offsets it with notes of grape, grilled peaches, vanilla, and butterscotch. Aged in used bourbon barrels, there’s less dominant oak than you see with new charred oak barrel aging, instead allowing the whiskey to offer more nuanced flavors throughout its sip. In the end, this is Texas in a glass, instantly transporting us to a field on a hot summer Texas day. It’s easy drinking for the proof, complex, and each sip allows you to continually pull out more nuanced flavors.
A Good Match For: Those looking for something a bit different
Not a Good Match For: Malt conservatives
MSRP: $80
Enjoyable and layered in complexity, American Vatted Malt is an inspired release that’s full of flavor and unlike any Barrell Craft Spirits has previously released.
American Vatted Malt is Barrell Craft Spirits’ first release in the malt category. The Scots historically referred to the combining of single malts to make a Scotch as “Vatting,” and the name pays homage to the Scots’ traditional terminology which has since been replaced by the term “Blending.” The current release consists of six different American single malt whiskeys from five different U.S. states, and the majority are craft distilleries not typically providing a component within another company’s blend. What results is a complex blend of American single malts that delivers. While this type of whiskey might be new territory for some bourbon drinkers, it’s one worth exploring. If you appreciate Barrell’s other higher proof offerings and don’t mind the splurge, American Vatted Malt is a good place to start exploring malt-based whiskeys.
A Good Match For: Risk takers
Not a Good Match For: Those who like single origin malt whiskeys
MSRP: $90
If you haven’t broken the American single malt whiskey barrier yet, Westward American Single Malt Whiskey Cask Strength is calling, and it will make a believer out of you.
There’s a reason we awarded Westward American Single Malt Whiskey Cask Strength one of the best whiskeys of 2022. This malt whiskey works on every level. What is unique about this particular release is its proof, as American single malts are rarely released at such a high proof. The result makes for an explosion of flavors that amplifies everything great about the whiskey’s lower proof counterpart, and adds a soiree of additional flavors delivered with wonderful intensity. If you haven’t gotten on board with American single malt whiskey yet, Westward American Single Malt Whiskey Cask Strength will make a believer out of you.
A Good Match For: Bold tasting malt whiskey lovers
Not a Good Match For: Those who enjoy their malt whiskey soft and elegant
MSRP: $100
