Westward Single Cask Stout Cask For WTF 0.70 ltr 50%

700ml. 50%

Nose:
The nose of this dram welcomes you with warm and sweet notes. Roasted chestnuts, freshly melted caramel and vanilla custard create a wonderfully nostalgic feeling. Where comfort food is a familiar thing, I consider this to be the liquid equivalent. There is also porridge and treacle on the nose, which reminds me of weekend breakfasts as a child. Finally, I find dark chocolate covered cherries, which add a layer of luxury to the already delicious indulgence that this American Single Malt has to offer.

Palette:
While I didn't notice much of the stout cask finish on the nose, it's the first thing I notice on the palate. It reminds me of taking a big gulp of Guinness after a long day at work. The whisky has a very soft mouthfeel, most reminiscent of lemonade. It produces flavours of dark brown caster sugar, coffee candy (hops), and oak shavings. There's also some almond with dark chocolate, which helps to balance out the tannins. All in all, it's a wonderfully complex dram, albeit very dark in flavour. This is for people who like espresso instead of coffee and go extra dark with chocolate.

Aftertaste:
The finish is where this dram really starts to shine. The flavours linger for an extremely long time, giving you plenty of time to explore the remaining flavours. The Guinness note on the palate is the first to fade. However, the coffee, treacle and dark chocolate covered cherries linger longer. The finish reminds me very much of cherry bonbons. The tannins on the palate give way to cinnamon and I find a hint of cocoa powder to round it all off.

Conclusion:
I thoroughly enjoy every moment I spend with this dram. The dark notes are a perfect match for my tastes. I love dark roasted espressos and extra dark chocolate. I will say this right away because although this whisky also has sweet notes, it is these dark notes that dominate. If you are more of a tea lover than a coffee lover and prefer white chocolate to dark chocolate, then this dram may not be the best choice for you. I would also not really call this whisky balanced, the flavour profile is really firmly on one side of the spectrum. However, this dram is very complex and for lovers of dark flavours, I think this is an excellent choice that I can wholeheartedly recommend.