Review #668 - Westland Moscatel Finish Single Cask - r/Bourbon Pick

Written By Me, My Wife & Whisky

Single cask versions of Westland's single malt whisky can be found with a wide variety of cask types; this one, selected for the r/Bourbon community, carries a 7 year age statement, 4 years of which was spent aging in a Moscatel wine cask. There are no specifics on the bottle, but considering the extremely dark natural color of the liquid, we're assuming that this was a first fill Moscatel cask.

This spirit was made using Westland's 'five malt' distillate - based on other bottlings, we believe that this is a combination of Washington Select Pale Malt, Munich Malt, Extra Special Malt, Pale Chocolate Malt, and Brown Malt. After maturation, this was bottled in 2022 at a cask strength of 52.6% ABV (105.2 proof).

Westland Moscatel Finish Single Cask - r/Bourbon Pick

USA - Single Malt

Price: USD 115 (2025)

Age Statement: 7 Years

Strength: 52.6% ABV

Cask Makeup: Finished in a Moscatel cask

Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; cask 4859, bottled 2022

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 4 times over 7 months; bottles at 100% (blind tasting), 80% (blind tasting), 70% (blind tasting), and 60% (blind tasting) fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes

Nose: Rich and dark, with strong dark chocolate notes, malt, and tons of dark fruit like prune, stewed figs, grape, and medicinal cherry. There's a menthol side bringing a mild effervescence; malty grains combine with strawberry licorice candy. Time brings interesting nuances like balsamic, rhubarb, and even chili powder.

Palate: The mouthfeel is medium-thick; a blast of malt and chalky chocolate greets us, followed by stronger oak. Fruits are dominant as it develops: we found prune, figs, orange oil, cherry, and strawberry across our tasting sessions. The chocolate takes on a more bitter flavor like baking cocoa, and we get hints of vinegar, molasses, and caramel.

Finish: Bourbon-soaked cocktail cherries, blackberry, tons of prune - those fruits continue from the palate. Chocolate is still a strong theme, and this is very oily with a great texture lingering. Subtle cola and vermouth notes can be found in the aftertaste; it's a medium-long finish.

Final Note: An absolute flavor bomb - there's no subtlety here, though that's no surprise given the color of the whisky and the cask strength presentation. The Moscatel cask is quite dominant with all of those fruit notes, but we do get that nice chocolate flavor from the malted component in the spirit. A good mix of sweet and spicy flavors at times, but overall, this one leans quite sweet and dessert-like.

Value is decent - the price is a little higher than average (a bit over $100), but this packs so much flavor, it's fun to dig into. We definitely recommend trying one of these Westland single casks, especially if you're open to American single malts.

Our Average Rating: 7.5 / 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: 6.17

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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