2023 24 Days of Whisk(e)y - Day 23

Saturday! Next to last day for 2023's 24 Days of Whisk(e)y ... tonight we are drinking a local PDX product, Westward American Single Malt, Cask Strength, 62.5% ABV. I reviewed this about 3 years ago, and I wasn't sure if the product would be the same or not. It did well in that review, so I thought I'd try it again.

On the nose, first thing that hits you is a malty sweetness, along with some black tea, honey, some proof burn. There is also this bit of funk that nearly all PNW American Single Malts (and some bourbons as well) have. It's a lot more subtile on this one than on the lower proof Westward, but it's still there. The taste - the proof burn is hard to miss on a larger sip, but on a smaller sip, it's not as much in your face. I get the malt sweetness, black tea, honey, some sort of mystery fruit I can't quite place (or a sweetness I can't quite place that reminds me of fruit anyway...), it might be cherry. The finish, malt sweetness, a nice warm tingle, the black tea... the malt sweetness lasts a long time in the finish.

With water, the nose is muted quite a bit. The proof burn is gone, but so is most everything else. It's a bit odd. On the taste, I get more black tea, some burnt brown sugar shows up. The finish is similar to before. The malty sweetness is still there from start to finish, and is really the number one thing I can say about this. I'm enjoying it - but it that isn't your thing, you will not likely enough this one. Overall, I do like this. I compared it to the Cedar Ridge QuintEssential from the other night, and I do like this one better, and so I am going to give this a 4.0/5.0 - it checks the boxes for me, cheers!