Westward Single Malt – Ken’s Artisan Sourdough Second Edition

WESTWARD SINGLE MALT
Ken’s Artisan Sourdough Second Edition (2023 Vintage Blend)

MASH BILL – 100% malted barley

PROOF – 90

AGE – NAS (blend of four vintages, ranging in age from 2 to 6 years, each fermented for 2 weeks)

DISTILLERY – Westward Whiskey

PRICE – sample bottle (normally $100)

WORTH BUYING? – Had I, oh so very much yes!

Uncorked and tasted in The Year of No Buying (The what? 🔗 here.)

I already spilled the beans on my initial response to this whiskey in my post on Destination vs Journey Whiskeys, so I won’t be coy here. This is really good.

I’ve been a fan of Westward since 2019, when a powerhouse cask strength single barrel offered by K&L wowed my senses with its wild range of flavors—moss, molasses, chai and rooibos tea, chocolate fudge, vibrant malt. Since that introduction, I’ve enjoyed many other Westward variations. A 2021 tour of the distillery and interview with founder Christian Krogstad provided further insights, namely the key role of their standard barley grain—a Pacific Northwest 2-row pale malt barley.

That grain is at work here as per usual. The switcheroo in this bottle currently on the table is the yeast. First in 2020, and then again for this release in 2023, Westward reached out to their neighbor, Ken’s Artisan Bakery, for some sourdough starter yeast. They let the mash ferment for a full two weeks, far longer than their or most any distillery’s typical fermenting time. Longer fermentations bring out more flavors and significantly impact texture.

It was a brilliant choice. And I for one hope the concept becomes a standard release. Let’s pour a glass and see why.

Here we are, nine days after uncorking and three pours into the bottle. These brief notes were taken using a traditional Glencairn.

COLOR – pale amber with brassy-orange highlights

NOSE – sourdough right up front, then fresh lemon juice, malt, salt, vanilla-caramel, thick cream, crushed dried baking herbs

TASTE – a rush of the dry herbal and bread notes, then a wave of the cream and candy notes, followed by a wave of bitter grapefruit peel and oak wood notes

FINISH – oak and grapefruit peel, faint sourdough and toasted caramel, the crushed herbs, some salt and black pepper

OVERALL – a rustic bread bakery of a single malt whiskey

One might make an argument for the power of suggestion here. But I really don’t think that’s what’s happening. Having tasted this whiskey twice before, without any sourdough bread on hand, the aromas and flavors were immediately recognizable—that particular sourness, the creamy doughiness of the bread, and the salt.

A chef friend of mine made a loaf of sourdough, as it happens. And so I immediately put it toward a side-by-side with the Westward. After enjoying a slice of the bread on its own—featuring the expected sourdough, cream, salt, and flour notes—the whiskey’s nose came across fruitier than it had a pour ago, with some kind of wild yellow berries, apricot, and something faintly tropical like a papaya/guava lovechild. The sourdough and salt notes remained like a foundation beneath the fruit notes.

On the taste, the cream and bitter notes of the whiskey now came across in perfect balance. And on the finish, the bitter grapefruit took the lead, outlined by the oak, with the doughy and cream notes running underneath. It’s actually reminding me a bit of St. George Single Malt, that blend of bitter grapefruit and cream.

In addition to drinking this neat on its own, I’ll be serving this whiskey with a rustic meal of fresh bread and stewed chicken. Anything with crushed herbs and mixed large beans. Roast autumn or summer squash. Before dinner I’m mixing it into an Old-Fashioned cocktail with cardamom bitters, maple syrup, maybe a bit of fresh ginger.

I do indeed hope they make this a regular release. The variety and balance of edgy bitter and supple creamy notes is exceptional. Pairing it with the fresh sourdough bread my friend made was a no-brainer, and unsurprisingly good. It highlights the possibilities of whiskey as not just a dessert or stand-alone drink, but something to sip with meals.

Westward does it again.

Cheers!

Five O’clock Somewhere

I wondered how this distinctively flavored whiskey might fair in a cocktail. Nosing it alongside other ingredients on my bar shelf, I decided to riff on the classic Blood & Sand. Traditionally made with peated scotch and Cherry Heering, here the sourdough would sub in for the smokiness of the scotch, and maple syrup for the sweetness of the Cherry Heering. Here’s the recipe:

1.5oz Westward Ken’s Artisan Sourdough Whiskey.
0.75oz blood orange juice.
0.5oz Dolin Rouge (sweet) Vermouth.
0.5oz dark maple syrup.
Shake and strain into a coupe.
Zest and garnish with blood orange peel.

And how is it?

Excellent! All the ingredients work together in perfect balance, each discernible without any one taking over. The savory, mildly bitter sourdough plays well off the maple syrup. The blood orange juice and vermouth share a rich roundness, working together like an undercurrent for the bready notes of the whiskey and rustic aspect of the maple to float on. Altogether delicious.

Only problem with this cocktail is it needs this rare, one-time Westward whiskey release to work! I tried it with some Larceny Wheated Bourbon, for example. Not as good. That sourdough note is key. So I do hope Westward makes it a regular offering. I’d buy a case just to keep making this cocktail!

Cheers!