Westland Watchpost 8 Year American Blended Whiskey
In-Depth Review
Today’s bottle comes from the one of the pioneers of American Single Malt – Westland Distillery. Based in Seattle, Westland champions its strong connection to the Pacific Northwest with ever-present PNW branding, stories of connection to the land, and an overall outdoorsy feel. And while American Single Malt is still struggling to breakthrough to mainstream audiences, Westland is already exploring into new areas beyond the single malt category.
Their Watchpost Whiskey brand is focused on blended American whiskey – a relatively unexplored genre that takes various American whiskey types and blends to taste – a lot like blended scotch. This 8-year bottle features an unusual mashbill featuring a combination of Westland’s five-malt mashbill aged in new oak & PX casks and MGP grain/light whiskey aged in ex-bourbon barrels. Coming in at a very reasonable $35 MSRP, Westland bottles this at 85 proof and has no color added and is non chill filtered. So, is this budget shelfer worth a trip to the pacific Northwest? Let’s dive in and find out.
Age: Aged at least 8 Years
ABV: 42.5%
Cask: Combination of new oak, PX casks and ex-bourbon barrels
MSRP: $35
Distillery Name: Westland Distillery
Review Date: 5/18/26
Nose: Floral, malty with vanilla cream, heather, jasmine blossoms and a touch of acidity. It’s a very light and approachable nose that can struggle to jump out of the glass.
Palate: The palate starts with coffee grounds, chocolate sauce, dried flowers and a youthful herbal malt note that settles into Lemon Pledge and a slightly metallic funky, earthy malt. Extremely well balanced with a light mouthfeel and barely perceptible heat.
Finish: Short finish with waxy, vanilla mixed with fresh oak.
Final Thoughts: Westland’s Watchpost Blended Whiskey is an extremely well-balanced pour that will easily please a crowd but struggle to capture the interest of the enthusiasts among us. It doesn’t ask much of you – but in return is priced extremely reasonably – making this a great bottle to bring to a gathering but may not become a staple on your shelf. It’s easy sipping character was enjoyable and approachable – but even at $35, I’d dedicate the shelf space to something a bit more interesting.
