A Global Intermisison: Westland Sherry Wood Review

And so, we get to the (temporary) end of this Global Intermission. Temporary because I have only touched a tiny part of the whisky scene outside of the British Isles. Just off the top of my head, I know I would love to spend more time exploring whiskies from Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, France and more Nordic countries besides Sweden. And to start exploring my growing local Italian scene. So I suspect there will be occasional Global Intermisisons in the future. But for now, I am wrapping things up with American Single Malt and this review of the Westland Sherry Wood.

American Single Malt… since 2025

American Single Malt is a relatively new category for whisky in the USA. It became an officially defined category by the USA Alcohol & Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau (TTB) in January of 2025. The new regulation, which will look very familiar to anyone with a knowledge of Scotland’s own regulation, defines American Single Malt as:

• Made from Distilled from 100% malted barley 
• Distilled entirely at one distillery
• Mashed, distilled and aged in the United States
• Matured in oak barrels with a maximum capacity of 700L. (These can be used, uncharred new, or charred new)
• Distilled to a proof of 160 (80% ABV) or less
• Bottled at not less than 80 proof (40% ABV)

(Somewhat disappointingly, the regulation allows the use of caramel colouring)

The ratification of American Single Malt is the culmination of a movement that started a few decades back. Clear Creek Distillery in Oregon is often recognised as one of the first to produce single malt in the US, releasing McCarthy’s Oregon Single Malt in 1996. Others, like Stranahan, Westland, and Balcones, among others, followed. In 2016, leading producers formed the American Single Malt Whiskey Commission to promote the category and advocate for the official recognition of the category, achieved as mentioned earlier in 2025.

Westland Distillery

Westland Distillery was founded in 2010 and started producing in 2011. From the beginning, it focused on American Single Malt linked to the local terroir, using ingredients sourced locally as much as possible. In 2016/2017 Remy Cointreau acquired Westland for an undisclosed sum. Considering Remy’s previous acquisition of Bruichladdich, also known for its strong ties to its local environment, it seems the theme of terroir-driven philosophy links the two acquisitions. 

The Westland Sherry Wood I am about to review is actually a discontinued product. Westland’s original core range was made up of the American oak, the Peated, and this Sherry Wood bottling. As far as I can tell, these were discontinued in 2023. (Which goes to show how much some whisky is sitting on the shelves of online retailers.). The current core range bottle, the Flagship, takes elements of each one and combines them. 

Westland Sherry Wood American Single Malt

Tasting Notes

Colour: A rich coppery amber, we’re definitely in Sherry territory here.

Nose: My first impression, as soon as I stick my nose in the glass, is not a particular note but simply a general impression of “dark” aromas. I get dark toast, malt, baking spice, heavy with nutmeg and cloves, orange oil, and red plums. Then, slowly, I start to notice more notes in the background: a touch of chocolate, toffee, raisins and nuts. But once it settles and breats it turns to lighter aromas. It reminds me more of an apple turnover, with notes of vanilla and oak. It isn’t terribly complex, but it is quite rich, and it remains fairly consistent. The evolution in the glass is limited, but what it does, it does well.

Taste and finish: The texture is quite rich, but not fully mouthcoating. There is an initial burst of citrus, dried orange peel, malt and fruit, plums and apples, but very quickly the darker malt notes take over. It becomes very nutty (dark toasted almonds and hazelnuts), with notes of chocolate. This would be a perfect whisky to show a newbie what ‘nutty’ really means in whisky. That dark malt also gives some slight bitterness, which might not be everyone’s cup of tea

The finish is medium long, and quite straightforward. Nutty, with notes of apple apple, dark toffee, and some chocolate.

Interested in my take on a specific whisky style? Check the full Journey here and jump to the relevant Chapter.

After writing my tasting notes, I always find it interesting to look at other opinions. Here are a few other reviews of Westland Sherry Cask I enjoyed:

Me, my wife and whisky

Scotchology

And for anyone interested in the history of whisky in the USA, I want to plug the great ongoing series by Eallair MacCall on Dramface, part 1, 2, 3 & 4.

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