Westward Whiskey Celebrates the American Northwest with Portfolio Expansion And Elegant New Look
Elevated American whiskey brand brings three award-winning expressions to Singapore to join Westward Whiskey Original, with stunning new bottle design and logo.
Miles Munroe Partner, Master Blender Westward Whiskey (Photo CarlyDiaz)
(Singapore, 27 April 2023) Westward Whiskey, an elevated American whiskey, proudly announces the Singapore launch of Westward Whiskey Pinot Noir Cask, Westward Whiskey Stout Cask and Westward Whiskey Cask Strength. The new expressions join Westward Whiskey Original on Singapore’s shores in the brand’s new livery: a stunning new custom bottle design and logo that celebrates the whiskey’s provenance and indelible link to the culture, climate, and natural ingredients of the American Northwest. The launch is made possible through its partnership with La Maison du Whisky, an importing and distribution specialist renowned for its curation of the finest whisky from around the world.
Underdog Inn (Floyd Cowan Photo)
Miles Monroe, Partner, Master Blender at Westward Whiskey, hosted a whiskey tasting at Underdog Inn at 115 Amoy. Waiting for the tasting to start we were served cocktails and snacks that were extremely good. I made a mental note to get back to the Inn when I could enjoy its regular fare.
Westward began in 2004 with a vision: to make a distinctive American Whiskey inspired by the American Northwest. Founder Christian Krogstad had always deeply respected the history and tradition of whiskey-making around the world, but sought to make something entirely new, and Westward Whiskey was born.
“We are not trying to make Scotch,” Miles stated, “We are creating our own style. We want to add something to the conversation, not simply replicate what has gone before.” As we tasted the four casks Miles explained, “Whisky that has a sense of place. It is about the terroir.” For Westward Whiskey, that place is Oregon – they are headquartered in Portland and live in a climate not too unsimilar to Scotland –cool and damp. Oregon gets a lot of rain.
When Miles engaged with the writers and bloggers he said he liked to keep things informal and light. “Let me know what you think. Anything is welcome – even a small joke.” Well, like good whiskey that is well-aged I pulled out a very old joke. “They say that people from Oregon don’t tan, they rust.”
Cheryl Juetten Photo
When the new company was born there were just 30 craft distilleries in the U.S. at the time. Today, Westward, a proud leader among more than 2,200 producers, is led by Thomas Mooney, who joined the company as Founder & CEO in 2011 to fulfil a longstanding passion to be a whiskey entrepreneur. The team of creators include former brewers, winemakers and chefs whose passion and knowledge combine to create a delicious whiskey that reflects the values and culture of the American Northwest: independence, creativity, commitment to caring for the community, and always pushing the boundaries of what is possible.
“At Westward there are no shortcuts, and therein lies the beauty. We pursue perfection by raising a world-class whiskey through our long, slow, process,” Thomas Mooney states. “We are thrilled to introduce our new whiskeys and elevated visual identity to discerning whiskey drinkers in Singapore. Our new custom bottle and design expresses the uncompromising spirit of the American Northwest and represents Westward’s meticulous devotion to our process, culture, climate and ingredients.”
Westward’s pursuit of perfection lies in the whiskey itself and not in the confines of tradition, guiding its process on building flavour every step of the way. An American Pale Ale is first brewed from scratch, using locally malted barley and ale yeast, in a slow, low temperature fermentation, before being distilled like a Single Malt, twice in custom low-reflux pot stills, transforming the flavourful ale into a robust whiskey.
Westward American Single Malt Portfolio (Credit Daniel Fowler)
The next step allows time for the spirit to mature in new, heavily toasted, lightly charred American Oak barrels, accentuating the bold characteristics of their whiskey. Finally, with the belief that mingling best showcases Westward’s full spectrum of complex earthy, fruity and spicy flavours, the barrels in small batches are mingled to produce the bold signature flavour profiles.
Westward is proudly handmade by a collection of world-class distillers who draw inspiration from the region's majestic surroundings and pursue their ambitions as artisans and whiskey makers at the Westward Whiskey Distillery in Portland, Oregon. Westward’s new visuals and packaging are a tribute to this sentiment, and the cuts and edges reflected in the bottle mirror the region’s raw beauty and dramatic mountain ranges, capturing the craftsmanship that goes into perfecting its whiskeys every day.
Westward Whiskey Pinot Noir Cask reflects fruity notes, such as fig and apricot, with a rich malt and dark chocolate finish. The expression earned a double gold award in San Francisco World Spirits Competition, the industry’s most prestigious awards judging, in 2021.
Westward Whiskey Stout Cask presents hazelnut, honeycomb and roasted barley aromas and a milk chocolate, banana and almond toffee palate, with an oaky vanilla balanced out by hints of mint and citrus finish. Westward Whiskey Stout Cask claimed a gold award at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2020.
Westward Whiskey Cask Strength has earned recognition as the highest-rated American Single Malt, with a double gold award at the San Francisco Spirits Competition in 2019, and was rated as one of the Top 5 Whiskeys of 2022 by the Whisky Advocate. Westward Whiskey Cask Strength reflects toasted almond, graham cracker, and black pepper aromas. Flavours include sesame, tobacco leaf and cacao, with a honeyed, deep fiery malt finish.
Westward Whiskey Pinot Noir Cask, Westward Whiskey Stout Cask and Westward Whiskey Cask Strength are available for purchase, along with Westward Whiskey Original, on www.whisky.sg and at several bars across the island, such as Underdog Inn, The Secret Mermaid, The Bar at 15 Stamford, and The American Club.
THE WESTWARD FAMILY OF AMERICAN WHISKEYS
Westward American Single Malt (Aaron Robinson Photo)
Westward Whiskey Original
Born from our love for whiskey and our desire to create something entirely new, this elevated American original demonstrates our craftsmanship and creativity. Our distinct, rich, and brazen Single Malt is the pinnacle of American Whiskey. Created from locally malted barley, brewed for exceptional flavour, and matured to perfection in new, heavily toasted and lightly charred American Oak barrels right here in Oregon, where our hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters are the ideal environments to raise a world-class whiskey.
Bottled at 45% ABV / 90 proof
MRSP: $145 for 700ml
Westward Whiskey Stout Cask
A celebration of Oregon’s legendary brewing culture, this whiskey honours our brewing roots and grew out of our longstanding cask-trading tradition among Northwest craft beer producers. For nearly a decade, we’ve traded our freshly-emptied barrels with some of our brewing collaborators. They have in turn “seasoned” them with Stout before returning them again. Stout Cask Finish pushes the boundaries of flavour. It begins with our original Westward Whiskey, and is then aged for one year in Stout casks.
Bottled at 46% ABV / 92 proof
MSRP: $168 for 700 ml
Westward Whiskey Stout Cask (Cheryl Juetten Photo)
Westward Whiskey Pinot Noir Cask
A tribute to Oregon’s legendary Willamette Valley wine country, this elegant whiskey is influenced by the region’s premier grape varietal: Pinot Noir. While others look within whiskey to innovate with sherry and port cask finishes, Westward looks beyond it for a twist on tradition to honour the American Northwest. This cask-finished whiskey reflects the vibrance of the Valley’s signature grape while allowing the bold, robust notes of our whiskey to shine through.
Pinot Noir Cask begins with our original Westward, which is matured for up to an additional two years in French Oak wine casks from a handful of award-winning producers in the region.
Bottled at 45% ABV / 90 proof
MSRP: $168 for 700 ml
Westward Whiskey Cask Strength
Westward American Single Malt Cask Strength (Westward Photo)
Unfettered, upstanding, and uncut, this whiskey reflects the robust flavours built in every step of our long, deliberate process. Our original single malt, reimagined and offered at cask strength. This whiskey best reflects the skilful finesse of our talented team of brewers- turned-distillers and the beauty of the bounty of the American Northwest. Cask Strength accentuates our rich, locally malted barley, the flavourful beer created in-house, and the newly charred American Oak barrels matured to perfection in Oregon, the ideal environment to raise a world-class whiskey.
Bottled at 62.5% ABV / 125 proof
MSRP: $200 for 700 ml
