Westward Whiskey
Overview of the Distillery
Westward Whiskey is a Portland-based producer of American Single Malt, combining locally malted two-row barley, brewing as an ale, and pot distillation for a malt-forward, fruity style. The distillery is known for its core release Original as well as a broad range of finishes — from Willamette Pinot Noir and stout-seasoned finishes to experiments with mezcal, Tokaji, and PX Sherry finishes — and releases both standard bottles and limited club releases.
History
Westward has spent more than two decades exploring what American single malt can be. Over time, the distillery has expanded its experiments from a robust, new American oak–matured base to collaborations with local brewers and vintners, as well as international finish providers. Master Blender Miles Munroe features prominently in the selection of rare blends, and in 2025 Westward marked several milestones: the first triple-distilled cask-strength release, the first smoked-cask release, and the launch of the Tokaji finish project. The Milestone series is built on a 21-barrel solera system and highlights the company’s work with long-aging, complex blends.
Raw Materials and Production
Westward works from grain to bottle with Pacific Northwest two-row barley, malted locally and brewed into an American ale before fermentation with craft ale yeast. The house core process uses double pot distillation, while selected experiments include a triple-distilled variant. After distillation the spirit matures in new American oak (heavily toasted, lightly charred) and is shaped by the Oregon climate; afterwards a range of finishs in external casks are used — including Pinot Noir finishes from Willamette Valley, stout-seasoned barrels from local breweries, Acacia finishes from French coopers, and rare mezcal and tequila finishes.
Maturation and Cask Types
The core character comes from new American oak, often heavily toasted and lightly charred. Westward works broadly with finishes: Pinot Noir finishes from Willamette Valley (up to two years of finish), stout-seasoned barrels (up to one year), Pedro Ximénez and Tokaji finishes for sweeter, vinous layers, French Acacia finishes for floral notes, and custom peat-smoked staves for a restrained smoky character. The distillery also uses a 21-barrel Solera system in Milestone releases to build long-aging layers of complexity.
Whiskeys
The range spans from the core Original release and a Cask Strength variant to a range of finishes such as Pinot Noir Cask and Stout Cask. In addition to these standard releases, Westward frequently publishes limited or club-exclusive bottles: Triple-Distilled Cask Strength, Smoked-Cask, Agave Cask, Double Dark (Acacia Finish), Tokaji and PX Sherry Cask, as well as Solera-based Milestone releases. Collaborations with local breweries, wine producers, and spirit brands are a recurring feature, and many releases are distributed as limited or exclusive to certain states or members.
| Whisky | Type / Series | Alcohol | Age | Cask and Style | Tasting Notes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westward Whiskey Original | American Single Malt | 45 % | New American oak | The core expression of the range: a single malt made with locally malted two-row barley, brewed as an ale, fermented with craft ale yeast and double pot-distilled. Aged in new American oak with a strong malt character.; Nose: Orange peel, caramel, toasted nut; Palate: Stone fruit, vanilla, honey, coconut; Finish: Toffee, light oak, roasted fruit | Active; Core range; Core release in stores | |
| Westward Whiskey Cask Strength | American Single Malt | 62.5 % | New American oak | Unfiltered, undiluted version of the house whiskey—brewed and distilled like Original but bottled at cask strength to show the full intensity of malt and oak; Nose: Honeysuckle, dried cherry, mocha, rich raisin, toasted almond; Palate: Peach streusel, rum raisin, coconut flake, apple pie; Finish: Fig jam, vanilla bean, stewed orchard fruit, cinnamon roll | Active; Core range; Core release / special edition in stores | |
| Westward Whiskey Pinot Noir Cask | American Single Malt; Finish | 45 % | Pinot Noir wine casks (French oak); finish: Up to two years in Pinot Noir finish from Willamette Valley | A Willamette Valley finish: Westward Original rests up to two years in Pinot Noir finish from Oregon to add red fruit and earthy tones, while the whisky's base remains prominent.; Nose: Orchard fruit, tobacco, freshly cut grass; Palate: Raisin, fig, apricot; Finish: Rich malt, herbaceous oak, dark chocolate | Active; Core range; Core release / regular finish | |
| Westward Whiskey Stout Cask | American Single Malt; Finish | 46 % | Stout-seasoned barrels; finish: Up to one year in stout-seasoned barrels from local breweries | A collaborative expression with local breweries: finish in staves previously used for stout. The result is chocolate and coffee notes atop Westward's malt base.; Nose: Hazelnut, honeycomb, roasted barley; Palate: Milk chocolate, banana, almond toffee; Finish: Oaky vanilla, chocolate almond, mint, citrus | Active; Core range; Core release / collaboration series | |
| Westward Whiskey Smoked-Cask - 2025 | American Single Malt; Library / Limited | 45 % | 5.5–6 years (blended) + 11–18 months finish | New American oak & custom smoked casks (Independent Stave Company); finish: Blend of whiskeys aged 5.5 and 6 years in new American oak, followed by 11–18 months finish in peat-smoked custom casks; smoky/dried | A restrained, earthy approach to smoky whiskey: Westward's base gets a long finish in peat-smoked staves, adding a gentle smoke without overpowering. | Limited; Club / limited release |
| Westward Whiskey Agave Cask - 2025 | American Single Malt; Library / Collaboration | 45 % | 7 years (incl. ~2 years finish in tequila/mezcal finishes) | Tequila / Mezcal casks (Reposado / mezcal); finish: Almost two years in rare mezcal and tequila finishes; the edition is built on a seven-year-old single malt | A collaboration highlighting agave characters via finish in tequila- and mezcal-finish; a project that unites Portland single malt with distinct traits from Jalisco. | Limited; Club / Limited release |
| Westward Whiskey Double Dark - 2025 | American Single Malt; Library / Experimental | 50 % | 5.5–6 years + 17–21 months finish | French Acacia casks; finish: 17–21 months in French Acacia finishes after filling in new American oak | An experiment in wood choice: Westward finishes a base in French Acacia finishes to create a deep, floral, citrus-driven expression with a soft mouthfeel.; Nose: Seville orange, honeyed citrus, lime zest, musky jasmine; Palate: Golden syrup, birchwood, mint, orange blossom, hazelnut wafer, forest floor; Finish: Orange Chantilly cream, soft mint & subtle floral, wintergreen, delicate oak | Limited; Limited / club-available |
| Westward Whiskey Tokaji Cask - 2025 | American Single Malt; Library / Finish | 45 % | >5 years + 13 months finish | Tokaji casks (60 L); finish: 13 months in 60 L Tokaji-finish from Tokaji Oremus Winery after more than five years aging in American oak | Westward's first Tokaji finish: a combination of an American-malt base and small Tokaji finishes, imparting honey- and citrus notes from botrytized wine.; Nose: Bright floral, dried fruit, citrus, honey, quince jam with a savory balsamic note; Palate: Rich tropical fruit, jasmine, clove, buttery croissant, butterscotch, demerara sugar, spice, lime cordial, pear; Finish: Peanut brittle, citrus, smoky Hungarian oak, cream, dried fruit, cinnamon | Limited; Club / Limited release |
| Westward Whiskey PX Sherry Cask - 2026 | American Single Malt; Library / Finish | 50 % | Pedro Ximénez sherry casks; finish: Finish in PX casks sourced from Spain, previously holding PX Naranja | A sherry finish in PX casks with fruit and chocolate notes combined with Westward's robust malt base.; Nose: Biscotti, stewed orchard fruit, caramel, fig jam, nutmeg, chocolate; Palate: Dark fruits, raisins, buttercream, honey, strawberry, cherry; Finish: Blackberries, sweet licorice, hazelnut, chocolate caramels, Cavendish tobacco | Limited; Limited / club-available | |
| Westward Whiskey “Triple-Distilled” Cask Strength – 2025 | American Single Malt; Library / Experimental | 62.5 % | 6 years, 7 months | A one-off experimental run in-house distillation: a triple-distilled edition bottled at cask strength to explore the effect of an extra distillation pass on texture and aroma profile.; Nose: Orchard fruits, honey, malt, heather, butterscotch, spearmint; Palate: Dried fruits, floral spice, birch beer, maple candies, subtle nuttiness; Finish: Herbal mint, forest floor, vanilla cola, custard, berries | Limited; Club / Limited release | |
| Westward Whiskey Milestone, Edition No. 3 - 2025 | American Single Malt (Blend / Solera); Milestone (Collectors) | 54.25 % | Solera system + diverse finish-fade (Rutherglen, Bordeaux, Jerez, Willamette Valley); finish: Blend selected from a 21-barrel Solera system with finishes sourced from finishes globally | A rare Solera-based blend hand-picked by Master Blender Miles Munroe, uniting spirit from a 21-cask system with a range of international finishes for a one-off release. | Limited; Oregon Exclusive / limited | |
| Westward x Bull in China Single Barrel Bottled in Bond Two Malts Rye | Two Malts Rye (Single Barrel, Bottled-in-Bond); Collaboration / Two Malts | 50 % | 9 years | An Oregon-exclusive collaboration and a Bottled-in-Bond single barrel, highlighted as Westward's longest single barrel at nine years of maturation.; Nose: Apple skin, cherry pie; Palate: Candied walnuts, chocolate milk; Finish: Passion fruit, juniper berries | Limited; Oregon / Select States Exclusive |
The Style and Flavor Profile of the Whiskies
Westward's overarching style combines citrus and fresh fruit (orange, lemon peel, fig, raisin) with a pronounced malt backbone: roasted malt, honey, toffee, and vanilla from new American oak. Depending on the finish, chocolate/caramel notes are added in stout and sherry editions, floral and citrus lifts in Acacia and Pinot finishes, and a soft earthy peat smoke in the smoked-cask release. The combination is documented across multiple products and releases.
Visit the Distillery
The distillery and tasting room in Portland offer tours and tastings by appointment, Thursday through Sunday. Bottle sales and pickup are available Wednesday through Sunday between 12:00 and 17:00. Visits are booked via an online booking inquiry or by contacting the distillery by phone or email; special experiences and private events are handled through the distillery's concierge and club features.
The stated opening hours are tastings and distillery tours by appointment, Thursday–Sunday. Bottle sales and pickup Wednesday–Sunday from 12:00–17:00.
Philosophy and Craft
Westward prioritizes a grain-to-glass approach with locally malted barley, pursues ongoing experiments in cask selection, and collaborates with local and international partners to expand the expression's possibilities. They employ both traditional techniques (pot distillation, solera blending) and atypical finishes to create balanced, yet distinctive American single malts, reserving special experiments for member releases through their Whiskey Club.
Prizes and Recognitions
- Top 5 Whiskey in the World (2022, Top 5)