Westward Whiskey Milestone Edition No. 2 – A Discovery of Spice
A pioneer in the craft distilling movement, Westward has invested 20 years in pushing the traditional boundaries of whiskey-making to constantly elevate what American Whiskey can be. Westward Whiskey Milestone® is the pinnacle of this effort.
By reimagining Old World winemaking and distilling techniques through the lens of our American Whiskey, Milestone is the direct expression of Verum Factum, our ‘maker’s knowledge’ gleaned over two decades as whiskey makers.
Milestone is raised from whiskey personally drawn by Master Blender Miles Munroe from a twenty-one barrel Solera system created exclusively for this annual offering. Used for centuries by European winemakers, the meticulous Solera method allows us to continuously age and blend some of our oldest and most precious whiskies with rare cask types, creating even more complex flavors in the process.
Each year, Westward draws just a small fraction of the whiskey for the annual Milestone release, replacing it with another unique whiskey from our barrel house. Much like the coveted idea of an ‘Infinity Bottle’, introducing new, exceptional whiskies into the Solera system while continuously blending small amounts of whiskey from one barrel into another creates an always evolving yet infinite palette of deep, complex Westward flavors.
The result of this special approach to whiskey making is that no two Milestone releases will ever be the same. With each release year, our Master Blender captures a set of unique flavors that only exist in the moment and can never be reproduced. This time capsule in a bottle reflects a distinct moment in our story, one that can never be told again.
By far the most ambitious, limited, and exclusive whiskey we will ever craft, Milestone is an intricately complex and evolving expression of Westward’s experience as a pioneering craft whiskey maker and a new pinnacle for American whiskey.
Bottled at 48.5% ABV / 97 proof
Looking Through the Glass: “A Discovery of Spice”
This year, as we honor our 20th anniversary, we sought to create an unrivaled expression of spice, one that highlights our journey thus far while setting the tone for many iterations to follow. Inspired by a visit to Taiwan and a transformative street food pairing he experienced with each of Westward’s flagship expressions, Master Blender Miles Munroe embarked on a expedition to take our signature spice notes to unparalleled heights by incorporating new, exotic woods to amplify the characteristics from our iconic and innovative cask finishes – including Stout, Pinot Noir, and Rum. The result is a whiskey worthy of the journey, one that strikes a distinct balance between our signature style and previously undiscovered aromas and flavors.
TASTING NOTES
Aroma: Honeysuckle, dried cherry, mocha & rich raisin, toasted almond
Palate: Peach streusel, rum raisin, coconut flake, apple pie
Finish: Fig jam, vanilla bean, stewed orchard fruit, cinnamon roll