Westward American Single Malt Whiskey

House Spirits Distillery, now celebrating more than a decade in Portland’s craft distilling community, has announced the national release of its Westward American Single Malt whiskey.

Westward American Single Malt whiskey is made from a wash of 100% Northwest two-row pale malted barley. Westward’s team of brewers and distillers ferment at low temperatures for extended periods of time using ale yeast to produce spicy, bright and fruity notes, the company says.

The whiskey is double pot-distilled, starting with a 3,000-gallon pot still and finishing in a 700-gallon custom pot still. It’s aged to taste in new charred American oak barrels, allowing Oregon’s dry, warm summers and wet, cool winters to “perfect its rich, smooth flavor,” the company says.

This American single malt is a mixture of a handful of single barrels (typically 5 or 6), each of which contributes a particular note, be it spicy, earthy, floral, herbal, fruity, or sweet.

Westward American Single Malt whiskey has a fruity aroma, the company reports, with creamy vanilla and brown sugar notes. Entry to the palate shows baking spice, fruit, and sweet malt. The finish begins with tobacco, dark chocolate and leather, with a lingering oak sweetness that gives way to stone fruit.

Westward American Single Malt whiskey is bottled at 90 proof (45% ABV) and priced from $79.99 to $89.95 for a 750-ml bottle.