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Whiskey Review: Westward American Two Malts Chocolate Rye

We review Westward's Two Malts Chocolate Rye, an American single malt whiskey that includes a touch of chocolate rye in its standard malted barley mash.

OVERALL RATING

10
$99.95
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Westward American Two Malts Chocolate Rye Whiskey (image via Suzanne Bayard)

Tasting Notes

About:

Distilled in 2016, new American oak, 45% ABV, mash bill: 97.5% malted barley and 2.5% chocolate roasted rye, SRP $99.95/ 750ml bottle.
Appearance:
The color is a moderate golden honey with an amber undertone.
Nose:
The Westward American Two Malts Chocolate Rye Whiskey leaps out of the glass with notes of bruised apples, French vanilla ice cream, cocoa powder, and golden toast. There’s a lightly floral component reminiscent of saffron and wild daisies. On further sniffing, I pick up notes of puffed grain cereal, warm honeycomb, melted candy bar, and tomato juice. This is very appealing.
Palate:
The intriguing tomato aroma carries through to the palate, giving off a rich umami flavor. There are notes of yellow apples and oatmeal porridge. It has a rich body with a dense flavor of toasted cocoa nibs. On the fruit side, there are complex flavors of fresh apple slices with lemon and fresh red grapes. I pick up notes of dried banana and whole wheat bread on the finish. The finish is quite fruity and similar to the nose, with notes of wildflower honey, toasted cereal, and fresh apples.
Finish:
Comments:

Wow. This is one of the finest American whiskeys I’ve had the opportunity to taste. It has a beautiful and restrained mélange of fruit, grain, spice, and savory flavors. I love the subtle toasted chocolate notes. It’s delightful neat or over rocks. I wouldn’t bother using it as a mixer as the whiskey is very complete and harmonious, but a splash of water or soda wouldn’t be amiss. As a Westward Club Spring 2022 exclusive, this is not in regular distribution. To purchase, sign up for their club on their website and order directly from the distillery. If you’re a fan of the distillery, note that they also release a co-lab with Fort George Brewery for the upper tier of the Club. And if you’re a fan of Fort George, like I am, head over to the brewery to taste their bourbon barrel-aged imperial stouts using barrels from Westward Whiskey and IJW Whiskey Company.


Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Suzanne Bayard

Suzanne Bayard struck out to the West Coast with her now husband almost a decade ago to explore the intersection of wine and policy in its world-class wine regions. She manages a Portland, OR bottle shop by day as the wine buyer and newsletter editor. She is also the Director of the Deep Roots Coalition, an organization of 30 Willamette Valley wineries that educate on and promote dry farming and sustainable practices. She joined the Whiskey Wash to explore two other passions: writing and whiskey.

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