Review #607 - Westward Milestone Edition No. 1

Written By Me, My Wife & Whisky

Westward is one of the oldest malt distilleries in the US - they produce a variety of single malts with many different finishing casks. Their top-of-the-line whisky, a new release in the past couple of years, is called 'Milestone.'

This American single malt undergoes a unique aging process for the distillery: they used a solera-style system consisting of 21 barrels to age the whisky over a long period of time. Each year, some of the spirit will be drawn out of the system and bottled for a Milestone release, and new spirit from other casks is introduced; because of this, the whisky doesn't carry a specific age statement, but each year's release should be progressively older (on average) in theory. Westward also doesn't disclose the specific cask types used in the solera system, but they could include new oak, ex-bourbon, ex-sherry or other wine casks, or many other options.

There isn't actually much information about this premium American single malt - in addition to the cask ambiguity, there's no age statement and no barley specifications. We do know that this whisky is bottled at 43%, and this first edition of Westward's 'Milestone' was bottled and released in 2023.

Westward Milestone Edition No. 1

USA - Single Malt

Price: USD 250 (2023)

Age Statement: NAS

Strength: 43% ABV

Details: Bottled 2023

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 7 months from a sample (bottle split). Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes

Nose: A bit of sharp pine up front, hints of rosemary, but then strong dessert notes build: chocolate, rum and raisins, syrupy sweetness, a buttery roundness, too. Softer notes include red wine and linen, and with time, it grows more herbal; we get a hint of coffee, too.

Palate: The mouthfeel is medium-thin; caramel, chocolate, and coffee notes all combine for a sweet, dessert-like experience. Tiramisu, mocha, some nougat and just a hint of smoke; tannic red wine, chocolate-covered espresso beans, too. The coffee note becomes very strong, almost like a concentrated coffee syrup.

Finish: The chocolate takes on a malty side, and coffee is still a dominant flavor, though we get a creaminess, too: a latte, or milky coffee. Red fruit like strawberry jam arrives, and we get more sweet baked good like tiramisu or other cakes, as well as vanilla wafer cookies. It's a medium length finish.

Final Note: The flavors here would probably give us a score closer to 9 out of 10, but the texture and density is lacking due to that low strength; it's a very good whisky, but it could have been incredible if it was bottled a high strength. Such a dessert-forward experience, with chocolate and coffee notes leading the way, backed up by plenty of other sweet notes. This is a complex pour with a lot of layers to dig into, and allowing it to rest before sipping also helps it evolve in the glass.

In terms of value - to be honest, it isn't great. This is an extremely expensive bottle with a suggested retail price of $250. The solera system does make it more challenging to give an age statement, but considering that lack of age statement and the 43% ABV presentation, and the general lack of information, the price feels like a bit too much.

Our Average Rating: 7.7 / 10

In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.

Value Rating: 4.89

About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.

Me, My Wife & Whisky
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