Robust cinnamon bun | Cinnamon spice | Raspberry whip | Cedar | Malt | Sponge candy | Rice pudding | Pleasant & unique

Peach | Apricot | Jam | Cedar | Cinnamon spice | Delicate but not shy

Toasted malt | Fruit cake | A touch of chocolate malt aftertaste | Medium length

Showcasing a distillery’s location is not a new thing, but is becoming increasingly important in the world of whiskey. How a specific location can affect everything from the grain, water and even the wood creates a unique fingerprint on a product and is a snapshot of the exact place where it is made.

Westland Distiller’s Native Oak Series encompasses this exact movement. Aged for 25% of its time in Oregon white oaks casks made from the Quercus garryana tree species is immediately striking. Not so much that it's in your face, but more as it’s distinct and nuanced, offering shades of subtlety. Additional layers of complexity come from the whiskey aged in 2nd fill Ex-Pedro Ximénez butts (65% of aging time), 1st fill Ex-Calvados (5%), 1st fill Ex-American grape brandy (2%), and 1st fill Ex-Washington apple brandy casks (3%). While the bourbon drinker in me would like to have tasted a non-finished garryana aged whiskey, that isn’t the norm for single malt drinkers. That said, there’s a lot going on with this whiskey both on paper and in the sip, but at no point is it ever overwhelming. Soft and delicate, yet providing ample complexity and pops of spice, Westland Garryana Edition 6 will really reward those willing to take the necessary time to explore it.