Westland Distillery Wine Cask Finish Batch No 1 American Single Malt Whiskey
- Jun 6, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 24
PLEASE REMEMBER TO DRINK RESPONSIBLY
Cigar smoking and drinking alcohol are for adults of legal smoking and drinking age.
PLEASE REMEMBER TO DRINK RESPONSIBLY
Cigar smoking and drinking alcohol are for adults of legal smoking and drinking age.
About This Spirit from Westland Distillery
Source: https://westlanddistillery.com/collections/american-single-malt-whiskey/products/wine-cask-finish
Whiskey Wine Cask Finish
Voted #20 Most Exciting Whiskey of 2024 - Whisky Advocate.
As part of the Cask Exploration Series, the Wine Cask Finish brings forward the Pacific Northwest’s rich winemaking history by introducing Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Washington Red Blend casks. The resulting whiskey balances intricate fruity notes with a rich and robust palate.
TASTING NOTES
Nose: Allspice, raspberry reduction, chocolate wafer, dried rose.
Palate: Chocolate raspberry turnover, Earl Grey tea, dried strawberry
About This Spirit from The Whisky Advocate
Westland Cask Exploration Wine Cask Finished (Batch 1)
Score 92 ● ABV: 46% ● Price: $75 ● Style: American Single Malt ● Origin: Washington
Westland is a leader in the American single malt scene, and this whiskey is a step forward for the style. For its wine cask finish, Westland uses cabernet sauvignon, syrah, petit verdot, red blend, and tempranillo casks to create new depth. The nose is jammy with blackberries, raspberries, and baked apples. Grain sweetness and banana bread emerge with time. The sip shows apples, pecans, apricots, buttered popcorn, and vanilla malt. On the finish, there’s tea tannins, cherry cough drops, and chocolate.
—Shane English
PLEASE REMEMBER TO DRINK RESPONSIBLY
Cigar smoking and drinking alcohol are for adults of legal smoking and drinking age.
How We Feel About the Spirit
Westland Wine Cask Wonder: The American Single Malt That Starts Our Story at #20
Written by Nancy Fae for His, Hers & the Good Life
Introduction
Every great collection has a first chapter — an origin bottle that quietly marks the moment when curiosity becomes pursuit. For our inaugural year of the Sipping Room, that chapter was written by Whisky Advocate’s Top 20 of 2024. Twenty bottles, nineteen found, each one a breadcrumb on the trail of discovery. And somewhere early in that hunt — before the list felt daunting, before we were cross‑checking shipping laws and calling friends in other states — we spotted Westland’s Cask Exploration Wine Cask Finished (Batch 1) sitting calmly on a shelf at our Total Wine in Nashville.
Score 92. ABV 46%. American Single Malt. Washington. #20 on the list.
We didn’t know then how many miles we’d travel or how many stories we’d collect, but we knew this bottle belonged with us. And now it sits in the Sipping Room, unopened, waiting for its moment in a blind lineup of wine‑finished whiskies. Waiting to show us what earned it that #20 spot.
His Take (Jeff)
There’s something satisfying about finding a Top 20 bottle in the wild — no online chase, no shipping workaround, no “call the store and pray.” Just a clean grab off the shelf. Westland’s Wine Cask Finish felt like a small early victory, the kind that makes you think the whole list might be easy. (Spoiler: it wasn’t.)
I like that Westland leans into Pacific Northwest character. Their whiskey always feels grounded — earthy, honest, a little rebellious. This one, with its wine cask finish, hints at a softer side. I’m curious how that finish will show up in a blind tasting. Will it lean fruit? Spice? Something unexpected?
For now, it’s a promise in a bottle. And I’m ready to see if #20 punches above its ranking.
Her Take (Nancy Fae)
This bottle feels like the beginning of a story — one of those early chapters where you don’t yet know the plot twists, but you sense you’re stepping into something meaningful. When we found it in Nashville, I remember thinking, Oh, this is going to be fun. The hunt, the tastings, the shared discoveries… all of it.
Westland has always struck me as a distillery with a sense of place. Their American Single Malt style carries the mood of Washington: misty, woodsy, quietly confident. Add a wine cask finish, and suddenly there’s a little romance in the mix.
I’m excited to taste this one blind. I want to see if the wine influence whispers or sings. And I want to see whether my palate agrees with Whisky Advocate’s score of 92. Either way, this bottle already holds a special place. It’s part of the Sipping Room’s origin story.
Closing in the His, Hers & the Good Life Style
His (Jeff)
This bottle reminds me that the hunt is half the fun. Finding it early gave me confidence — and maybe a little overconfidence — but it set the tone for the adventure ahead.
Her (Nancy Fae)
For me, this bottle is a bookmark in our journey. It’s the moment the Sipping Room began to take shape, one thoughtful bottle at a time.
The Good Life
The Good Life is built on shared pursuits, small victories, and the joy of discovering something new together. Westland’s Wine Cask Finish isn’t just #20. It’s part of the story we’re writing, one bottle at a time.
PLEASE REMEMBER TO DRINK RESPONSIBLY
Cigar smoking and drinking alcohol are for adults of legal smoking and drinking age.
How to Enjoy
Blind Tasting Lineup: Start with a flight of wine‑finished American single malts. Let Westland sit among its peers and reveal its personality without bias.
Neat First Pour: At 46% ABV, it’s built for a slow, thoughtful sip. Let the wine cask influence unfold naturally.
Side‑by‑Side with a Red Wine: A fun pairing experiment — taste the whiskey, then a sip of a Washington red. Notice what echoes.
PLEASE REMEMBER TO DRINK RESPONSIBLY
Cigar smoking and drinking alcohol are for adults of legal smoking and drinking age.
Disclaimer: Cigar smoking and drinking alcohol are for adults of legal smoking and drinking age. Life’s Rants promotes the responsible and legal enjoyment of premium cigars and alcohol by individuals of legal age. We do not endorse or encourage smoking or drinking among minors.
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