Westward Pinot Noir Cask Single Malt Whiskey
Westward Pinot Noir Cask Single Malt Whiskey is a Portland American single malt — 45% ABV (90 proof), 750mL, brewed from 100% malted barley like a pale ale, double pot-distilled, matured in new American oak and finished up to two years in French oak Pinot Noir casks from Oregon's Willamette Valley. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 45% (90 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Mash: 100% malted barley (Pacific Northwest two-row, locally malted)
- Production: Brewed like a pale ale with ale yeast, double pot-distilled
- Casks: New lightly charred American oak, finished up to 2 years in French oak Willamette Valley Pinot Noir casks
- Age: No age statement
- Origin: Westward Whiskey, Portland, Oregon (founded 2004)
Brewed Like an Ale, Finished Like an Oregon Wine
Westward's house method is usually summed up in one line: brewed like a pale ale, distilled like a single malt, aged like a bourbon. Founder Christian Krogstad built the Portland distillery (founded 2004 as House Spirits) on Pacific Northwest two-row barley, an ale-yeast fermentation and custom low-reflux pot stills, then into new American oak as US law and house style dictate. The Pinot Noir Cask is the distillery's tribute to its home wine country: where other single malts reach for sherry or port wood, Westward finishes its original single malt in French oak casks from celebrated Willamette Valley Pinot Noir producers, for up to two years. Find it among our whisky range, or the distillery's other cask finishes on the Westward vendor page.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Orchard fruit, tobacco and freshly cut grass. Palate: Raisin, fig and apricot over rich malt. Finish: Herbaceous oak and dark chocolate.
How to Enjoy
Neat or with a splash of water, where the pinot finish shows as dark fruit over the malt. It is also a natural after-dinner pour for wine drinkers crossing over to whiskey.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a wine or a whiskey? A whiskey — an American single malt, 100% malted barley, that spends its finishing period in casks which previously held Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. The wine casks season the whiskey; nothing is blended.
How long is the pinot noir finish? Up to two years in French oak Pinot Noir casks, per the distillery, following the original maturation in new American oak. The bottle carries no age statement.
What makes it an "American single malt"? It is made from 100% malted barley at a single US distillery — here, brewed with ale yeast like a beer before double pot distillation, Westward's brewing-born signature.
Willamette wine wood on Portland malt — order Westward Pinot Noir Cask Single Malt online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.