Westward Pinot Noir Cask
Westward Distillery was one of the early American handful single malt distillers along with St. George Spirits, Clear Creek Distillery, and Stranahan’s (and about twenty others by 2004, when it was founded). For over 25 years, Westward has continued to explore their craft on the West Coast as the American Single Malt landscape grew and took shape. Even though the distillery filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in April 2025, co-founder Thomas Mooney stressed the move was to reorganize to be better able to survive in a very challenging economic climate. The Westward Pinot Noir Cask has been a staple of the distillery’s core line for a number of years. Beginning with the distillery’s signature single malt, the liquid is then finished in French oak casks that formerly held Pinot Noir wines from Oregon’s Willamette Valley for two years.
Distillery: Westward
Country: United States
Age: NAS
Strength: 45%
Price: $89.95
Maturation: ex-Pinot Noir casks
Location: Portland, OR
Nose: Fig, wine, yeast, molasses, brown sugar
Palate: Fig, spice, citrus, perfume, tobacco, leather, mint
Finish: Fig, mint, hops
Comments: No water is needed. Explore food pairings.
Adam – No mistaking this Westward Pinot for anything other than a Westward with that fig on the nose. What’s riding in the sidecar this time is a little different, however, as the finishing barrels really add elements of molasses and brown sugar. Very easy to imagine this drizzled over some cheesecake or ice cream. The sweetness carries into the front of the palate along with a brief zing of spice to introduce flowers in a leather saddle with a snap of citrus on the side. This particular Oregon flavor trail finishes with fig and mint notes that linger in your mouth like a memory. I’m not sure I love this single malt but I enjoy it and respect what it’s doing.
Henry – Molasses, brown sugar, and stewed Smyrna fig on the nose, with a winey sweetness coming out when nosed just at the right angle. Palate introduces perfume reminiscent of a bourbon, with wine influence coming through boldly as notes of tobacco and leather, which can overpower the complexity of the base spirit. The stewed fig is the plumb line that continues from the first nosing through to the very end of the finish. Take it or leave it.
Ben – The palate lands in warming kind of way, spreads out evenly over the tongue. Incredibly comfortable to drink. Almost an aura of Dr. Pepper. It has a little bit of that.
This particular Oregon flavor trail finishes with fig and mint notes that linger in your mouth like a memory.
Bill – It has a solid, meaty presence. I want to chew this. There’s a funny bourbon sweetness that floats in the middle of the palate. A lot of the tasting notes from the original single malt have been blended and melded into a singular thing, which makes it hard to pull out the individual threads.
Mike – When I poured a little of the Westward Pinot on my hands and rubbed them together, I got a big burst of the pinot noir. I want to wear this as a cologne now. Very similar to the Blood Oath Pact 10, with the Merlot and Cab Franc finish. Oh, it’s nice. I took a sip later and mint hit me first but then followed up by hops. There’s a semi-citrus, semi-grassy flavor. I did not expect that.
