WESTWARD BOTTLED IN BOND
Club Exclusive Release (2026)MASH BILL – 100% malted barley
PROOF – 100
AGE – 9 years
DISTILLERY – Westward Whiskey Co.
PRICE – $108
WORTH BUYING? – Yes
In 2024, Westward released a 7-year bottled-in-bond whiskey and I didn’t hesitate to pick it up. I’m a longtime Westward fan. I’ve never tried a release I didn’t like. Some appeal more than others, of course. But the way Westward squeezes so much flavor out of their process is extraordinary. Their consistency does mean their whiskeys seldom surprise—in that they never disappoint!
Now they’ve released this 9-year whiskey, and, again, it wasn’t a question for me. Buy it. Crack it open. Enjoy it.
So here we are, one week after uncorking and a few pours into the bottle. These brief notes were taken using a traditional Glencairn.
COLOR – from rich pumpkin to fiery oranges
NOSE – oak wood and tannin, nutty and fruity barley, drying maple syrup, dark crystalizing Mānuka honey, juicy prune, a subtle red wine note
TASTE – a dark but jammy red wine fruit note swirls about amidst coffee and dark chocolate syrup, with residual hints of the maple and honey
FINISH – the wine, chocolate, coffee, and now very dark fruit notes lingering warmly
OVERALL – dark, intriguing, complex
On the nose, I wondered if this release’s dry and bitter aspects might overwhelm the whole. They are more prominent there than later on the taste or finish, where things sweeten substantially, but in dark ways, not bright.
The dance between the wine, coffee, and chocolate notes that kicks in on the palate is quite wonderful. This is where the intrigue begins, as if the nose were the music’s preamble, releasing into the full swing of a waltz on the palate. But it’s a waltz in a dark room lit by burgundy saturated light.
Throughout, there is something slightly reserved about it. This adds to the intrigue and sense of complexity. The flavors are bold and confident, as I expect from Westward. But they aren’t showy or eager, as with some mainstream bourbons or scotch whiskeys. I get a sense the full power of the whiskey is being held back, just in reserve. It’s at once frustrating and enticing, and does a great deal to keep me reaching for the glass—which is a good thing. Were it to fully unleash itself, perhaps it might not be as interesting or enjoyable.
The dramatist in me is quite pleased with this whiskey. It would pair well with watching Twin Peaks or Blue Velvet, or any tautly strung mystery. Or with a Pina Bausch performance, where emotion is allowed its inexplicable complexity. It has drama and panache to it, a sense of showmanship that understands the power of restraint and tension. I dig it.
Cheers!
Last Call
I’ve already put this whiskey toward a cocktail, an autumnal riff on the basic Whiskey Sour template:
2oz Westward 9 Year BiB
0.75oz lemon juice
0.5oz maple syrup
1 dash Angostura bitters
1 dash Bitter Queens chocolate walnut bitters
Rather than serving it up in a coupe, which would also be good, I poured it into a tumbler over a large ice rock. Excellent.
Westward always makes a great base for autumnal cocktails. With their 2024 Ken’s Artisan Sourdough release, for example, I devised this Blood & Sand cocktail riff, also excellent:
2oz Westward Ken’s Artisan Sourdough Whiskey
1oz blood orange juice
0.5oz Dolin Rouge (sweet) Vermouth
0.5oz dark maple syrup
Blood orange peel garnish
The whiskey used here is very specific—that Sourdough release had the unique quality of the sourdough yeast adding a specific note to the familiar Westward notes. But since running out of that bottle I’ve done the same recipe with other Westward releases and enjoyed it just as well. Maple syrup seems to pair well with Westward, and matches the autumn vibe perfectly. I’m sure the 9 Year BiB will also serve this and many other cocktails splendidly.
But it’s also quite great on its own, so, we shall see in what variety of glasses it ends up.
Cheers!
The Right Spirit 