Raspberry mousse | Floral honey | Iris | Jasmine | Lemon | Balsa wood | Blackberry balsamic | Toasted cinnamon

Orange blossom | Honeysuckle honey | Mixed nuts | Elderflower | Green tea

Golden syrup | Semi-sweet oak | Blackberry balsamic | Toasted barley | Light spicy oak

During a trip to Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne, Australia, Westward Whiskey’s former master blender, Miles Munroe, came across Acacia trees, which are native to the country. Acacia barrel finishing is relatively rare in American whiskey, but is more common in winemaking. The wood is known for its low wood tannins and avoids heavy vanilla, caramel, or toast characteristics found in American oak barrels. The wood is also more porous and oxidative than oak and typically, wine is aged in shorter windows than American or French oak barrels - though Westward seems to feel otherwise.

If you’re familiar with Garryana, Mizunara, or American white oak (Quercus alba), then you have a leg up in understanding how Acacia wood imparts its flavor into its base whiskey. Where I would be cautious about finishing a bourbon or rye in Acacia barrels, an American single malt might be a perfect match. This is because American single malts come to the table with less of an impressionable base and can take finishes at face value. Combine this with older Westward whiskeys and an extended finishing time, Westward Whiskey Double Dark is a combination of unexpected, new, and wildly inventive in the single malt category.

Each part of Double Dark’s sip is different than what came before. The aroma – its most varied part – rolls out a wide array of scents such as raspberry mousse, floral honey, iris, jasmine, lemon, balsa wood, blackberry balsamic, and toasted cinnamon. The palate has orange blossom and honeysuckle honey up front, but then transitions to mixed nuts, elderflower, and green tea. Not to be outdone, the finish features golden syrup, semi-sweet oak, blackberry balsamic, toasted barley, and a lingering spicy oak.

At this point, Westward Whiskey Double Dark is in a league of its own due to a true comparable counterpoint. Though the flavors it offers are a unique combination, it’s also not so far removed from the familiar that it comes across as strange either. Fans of American single malts that want to explore new territory – one that ranges from flowery, earthy, nutty, and semi-sweet – will be surprised by what Double Dark packs into one sip. Being a Westward Whiskey Club exclusive, along with the company’s amazing Reserve Pinot Noir Cask, there are a few more hoops to jump through to obtain them, but fans of American single malts should not miss this release