{"product_id":"westward-switchback-single-barrel","title":"Westward Switchback Single Barrel American Single Malt","description":"\u003ch2\u003eThis barrel has had four lives.\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost barrels hold one or two things before they're retired. This one held Westward single malt for four years, then Aviation Old Tom gin for a year, then an IPA from Breakside Brewery, a few miles down the road, for 10 months. After all that, Westward filled it with two-year-old single malt and left it for four more years. The barrel's nickname is the Switchback.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery fill leaves something in the wood. The tasting notes read like the barrel's résumé: honey and malt, then botanicals and spearmint, then a hazy-IPA, warm-sourdough finish that's hard to place until you know the story.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt came out as a single-barrel pick. The panel almost missed it: they were waiting on a ride to the airport when Westward's blender asked if they wanted to try anything else, and they went straight for the barrel everyone had been talking about the night before. Their verdict was that it's \"a creation that will never be made again.\" One barrel, one bottling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt 119.05 proof, start with a small pour and a few drops of water.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eTasting Notes\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNose:\u003c\/strong\u003e citrus, botanicals, honey, dark chocolate, malt\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePalate:\u003c\/strong\u003e spearmint, wildflower, cardamom, pastry\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFinish:\u003c\/strong\u003e hazy IPA, mint, warm sourdough, orange, caramel\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eBottle Specifications\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCategory: American Single Malt Whiskey, single barrel\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBarrel: Switchback (Series 1, Barrel 17)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGrain: 100% malted barley\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBarrel history: Westward single malt (4 yrs) → Aviation Old Tom gin (1 yr) → Breakside Brewery IPA (10 mo) → this whiskey: 2-year-old Westward, aged 4 more years\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAge: No age statement\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProof \/ ABV: 119.05 proof \/ 59.53%\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDistillery: Westward Whiskey, Portland, Oregon\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBottle size: 750ml\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePoured by Whiskey-of-the-Month Club Enthusiast members in September 2026.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFAQ\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy would a whiskey barrel hold gin and beer?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUsed barrels get passed around. Gin and beer both pick up flavor from the wood and leave some of their own behind. When whiskey goes back into that barrel, it picks up traces of everything that came before.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow old is it?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere's no age statement. The whiskey went in at two years old and aged four more in this barrel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill there be more?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNo. It's one barrel, and the selection panel called it a one-off.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Westward Whiskey","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67682226634906,"sku":"VWS200425119","price":130.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0126\/5647\/6250\/files\/westward-topflight-barrel-17-home-bar.jpg?v=1791324891","url":"https:\/\/pourmore.com\/products\/westward-switchback-single-barrel","provider":"PourMore ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}