This whiskey has a story particular to Scotchology. This had been slotted for World Whisky Day 2020 but a last minute mixup in shipping meant that we had to substitute the Batch 3 instead, to the complaint of absolutely no one. But Batch 2 deserves its due. Wanderback exists somewhere between an independent bottler and a distillery, in that they procure the barrels of single malt from different distilleries – Batches 1-4 from Westland Distillery and Batches 5-6 from Balcones Distilling – and then choose how they age or finish them. The Wanderback Batch 2 is aged a minimum of 3 years and finished in a mix of ex-bourbon and ex-rum casks.
Bottler: Wanderback
Distillery: Westland
Region: Foreign
Age: NAS
Strength: 50%
Price: $59.00
Maturation: ex-bourbon and ex-rum casks
Location: Hood River, OR
Nose: Rum, banana, vanilla, spice, raisin, fig, mincemeat, sandalwood, cedarwood, evergreen, floral
Palate: Wintergreen, grain, spice
Finish: Evergreen, chocolate
Comments: As of November 2023, the Wanderback website is down and there have been no new posts on their social media for several months. After six batches, it appears they may be closed.
Adam – There’s a little heat on the nose but it’s not unbearable or unpleasant. Batch 2 offers a refreshing nose with ripe fruit, spice and stone fruit that reminds me of summer. I’m not sure how much of the sweet elements come from the rum finish but it feels more prominent in the nose. The palate offers more recognizable Westland elements, being grain forward with a dash of wintergreen. There’s a little spice there before finishing with light chocolate and evergreen hanging around in the mouth. It’s so good to see something familiar given a new twist, and to have it be with a rum influence at that.
Henry – A beautifully balanced and vibrant nose of toasted cereal, sweetness, vanilla, cedarwood, sandalwood, and spice. Palate is brisk and spicy, with pronounced barley backed up with more fragrant woody notes and a bold heat. Finish is woody with a tannic kick.
Ben – I get a pie filling on the nose, that kind of sweet. There are a lot of baking spices on the nose so I wonder if the bourbon casks are super wet. We started with such a good base with the Westland. Overall, I liked this a lot. The Batch 2 reminded me of the Branch & Barrel Plumwood.
Like a bastard child of allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon that reminds me of this African spice called Grains of Paradise.
Bill – I get a lot of pine and wintergreen in the nose after it’s opened up. The wintergreen and the pine are the same sense.
Mike – I get sweet tarts on the nose. When I first poured it out, I smelled peanut brittle but it was gone after a minute or two. I get a lot of chocolate after the nose has opened up, definitely cocoa. I didn’t get that at first but was there after I tasted it.
Sam – Smells of overripe banana. The Batch 2 is like a bastard child of allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon that reminds me of this African spice called Grains of Paradise. The tarry pine element lingers.
Kim – There’s a banana and raisin element that on the nose that reminds me of rum cake.
