Malted barley | Heavy chocolate malt | Baking chocolate | Whoppers candy | Chocolate-forward

Sweet chocolate malt | Rich malted barley | Light spice | Layers of chocolate | Hints of rich stout | Rich overall

Heavy dry chocolate malt | Light spice | Hints of oak | Lingering & one dimensional

Westward Whiskey is based out of Portland, Oregon, and embraces the pioneering spirit of the pacific northwest. The company focuses solely on producing American single malt whiskeys with four base products, and a rotation of limited editions released regularly. To produce their Stout Cask product, the company states that they “traded our freshly-emptied barrels with some of our brewing collaborators. They have in turn “seasoned” them with Stout before returning them again.” Westward Whiskey then ages their standard Westward American Single Malt Whiskey for an additional year in these used stout casks.

I find Westward’s standard American Single Malt Whiskey to be an American single malt that is full of rich flavors and a great introduction for those unfamiliar with the category. The additional one year of aging in used stout casks has a clear influence, as Malt Stout Cask hones in on rich chocolate flavors. A rush of chocolate notes is instantly noticeable on the nose and carries over directly into the palate, which shows a clear influence from the stout barrels it’s finished in. The finish is tasty, yet distinctly one-dimensional focusing on a heavy dry chocolate malt flavor. Overall, I found this to be a good sip, but the extra year in the stout casks will make it more enjoyable for those who love a rich chocolate flavor profile or fans of stout beers in general. For everyone else, the standard Westward American Single Malt Whiskey delivers a more nuanced sip that is slightly more enjoyable.