Independence Day – claim a whiskey to toast the American national holiday in style

Westland American Oak Single Malt

Firmly jumping off the bourbon wagon, this Seattle-based single malt producer has carved out a quintessential North American single malt series. This is its flagship bottle – a five-malt, American oak-casked whiskey that is designed to capture all that is great about Seattle’s craft beer tradition.

Using a multi-malt mash bill that includes brewers’, chocolate and Munich malt, its makers have created a whiskey that is stuffed with flavour. The charred new oak used in maturation alongside the first-fill ex-bourbon creates a layer of spice and oak that thoroughly complements the malt. 

The barley and most of the ingredients in this non-age statement release are locally sourced in Washington State. A Belgian brewer’s yeast kickstarts the extra-long fermentation time.

You can expect a rich and creamy single malt with custard, marshmallow and brown sugar on the nose, followed by a palate stuffed with nuts, crème brulée,  tea, milk chocolate and, of course, lots of malt.

Woodford Reserve 123.6 Bourbon

This remarkable whiskey is pulled straight from its cask at 123.6 proof (61.8%). (A standard Woodford release is around 90 proof (45%) so this step up to batch proof is very special indeed.) 

Woodford Reserve isn’t generally known for high-proof releases so when this annual Spring series was launched in 2018, it was a welcome shift in the distillery’s attention. Like many breakthrough success stories in the US, Woodford took a standard approach and supercharged it. 

Rather than release a single cask of high-proof bourbon to create a special edition, as is common in Scotch, for example,  they batched 100 barrels together to blend this no-age statement whiskey. 

The higher proof and larger batch allowed them to create an edition that brought new layers to the Woodford Reserve stable: a more complex nose, deeper flavours and a much longer finish.

Part of the Master’s Collection, its flavour is dominated by rich spice, chocolate and dark fruit. You’ll get raisins, caramel, cloves and leather on the nose with sweet and syrupy chocolate, dark sugar and almonds on the palate. A perfect pour for Independence Day.

Whistlepig 12 Old World Rye

WhistlePig has made the rye category its own, and this superb release from its Old World series is a great example of how and why they have made such strides. The series offered three cask-type finishes – either Madeira, port, or Sauternes casks – each chosen to reflect European flavour styles and apply them to rye whiskey making. 

This 12-year-old bottling blends all three into one rich and flavour-packed release. The Madeira element comprises 63% of the bottle, with sauternes offering 30%, and the port comes in at 7%.

Matured initially in new American oak, the whiskey had already gathered a deep spice before its individual three finishes and subsequent marriage in one cask.

This is a smooth and buttery rye whiskey with lots of fruit types from each of the casks – raisins, peaches and dark fruits. They carry the spice of the rye beautifully and are bottled at 43%.

Pappy Van Winkle 20 2016 Bourbon

Bottles of Pappy Van Winkle have come to represent some of the finest bourbons to have ever been released in the US. Heralded by collectors, reviewers and celebrity chefs alike, the house of Van Winkle has more than proven its right to hold a prime position among bourbon fans. 

The Family Reserve Collection has three age statements: a 15-year-old, a 20-year-old, and a 23-year-old. Each step up in maturity brings another rich layer of personality and flavour. 

This 2016 release of its 20-year-old delivered a 90-proof (46% ABV) whiskey with an elegant dark colour and lots of leather, tobacco and coffee underlying the bourbon sweetness.

Stuffed with vanilla, dried fruit, dark sugar and rich oaked honey, this classic Pappy Van Winkle is a showstopper for both collectors and drinkers this Independence Day.