Sips & Sites & Bites

Westward Whiskey, which calls Portland, Oregon home, is bringing a new whiskey to market that’s a blend of two classic spirits. 

The whiskey maker introduced Westward Whiskey Cognac Cask, the fourth and final club release of the year.

It sets out to marry the rich history and flavors of Cognac with Westward’s whiskey. The new offering aged nearly four years in new American Oak barrels, then an additional year in Cognac casks that had continuously housed XO Cognac for more than 40 years. 

Westward Lead Blender Miles Munroe said he searched for the perfect mature French brandy casks, and now this final blend showcases subtle hints of Cognac for a well-integrated and approachable whiskey.  

“Cognac is one of the world’s most renowned spirits, known for its great history of blending and maturation techniques which create complexity in the final spirit,” he said. “Finding these extraordinary French barrels was the key to this unique creation, which artfully blends the distinct flavors of American whiskey with the refined profile of a well-aged Cognac.”

His tasting notes show the whiskey to have aromas of baklava, candied ginger, forest floor, cloves, and fig jam. It tastes of plum, melon, vanilla bean, apricot, and banana bread. The whiskey finishes with honeydew, butterscotch, candied nuts, and pistachio curd.

The Westward Whiskey Cognac Cask clocks in at 90 proof and has a price of $99.95 a bottle. It’s available for pre-order for Westward Whiskey Club members.

The Whiskey Club launched in 2019 and was previously available exclusively in Oregon. Now, the Club reaches consumers in more than 35 states. Members get exclusive access to club-only whiskey releases and events led by Westward’s team of experts.

Other membership perks include The Westward Experience, a distillery tour and tasting offering an in-depth look into Westward’s four-step production process of brewing, distillation, maturation, and mingling and a guided tasting featuring several expressions of the brand’s American single malt whiskies. 

For more information or to join the club, check out WestwardWhiskey.com, and find them on Instagram.