Editor’s Note: This whiskey was provided to us as a review sample by Westland Distillery. This in no way, per our editorial policies, influenced the final outcome of this review. It should also be noted that by clicking the buy link towards the bottom of this review our site receives a small referral payment which helps to support, but not influence, our editorial and other costs.
At the end of January, Seattle distillery Westland released their Westland 8th Annual Peat Week Festival American Single Malt Whiskey. They’ve become well known for their Peat Week, an annual festival celebrating the release of their heavily peated whiskey. This festival includes a symposium, cocktail class, and early access to the Peat Week whiskey. Remy-Cointreau purchased the distillery in 2017, though co-founder, Matt Hoffman, is still the master distiller.
Westland sourced their malt from the historic Baird’s Malt in Glasgow, Scotland, which was founded in 1823 and works primarily with Scottish brewers and distillers. The Westland 8th Annual Peat Week Festival American Single Malt Whiskey uses Baird’s “Heavily Peated Malt,” which is smoked with peat for 65-70 hours. It imparts an intensely peaty aroma to the finished product. The 8th release is the final Peat Week whiskey using non-Washington state peat and malt. Future releases will feature locally grown and sourced peat and malt. The shift comes as no surprise for a distillery that emphasizes local products and is a founding member of the American Single Malt Whiskey Commission.
The Commission requires that whiskeys labeled as American Single Malts abide by a set of requirements including use of 100% malted barley and distilling at one distillery in the USA. Much like Scottish whisky laws, these standards (and an education push) help to set baseline expectations for customers where previously the phrase had no set definition. Although use of American-grown and kilned barley is not required, it’s admirable to see that they’ve made the shift to locally sourced peat and malt. Next year will see the debut of the Solum American Single Malt Whiskey, using local peat from Washington State. Westland helped establish a peat bog in the small town of Shelton, WA on the Olympic Peninsula while working with Skagit Valley Malting, which is based north of Seattle. It’s an impressive project that involved a great deal of inventiveness in creating, as they put it, a “New World process” to using New World peat. There’s a lot to look forward to from Westland, but a lot, too, to enjoy right now.
Tasting Notes: Westland 8th Annual Peat Week Festival American Single Malt Whiskey
Vital Stats: 86 months maturation in new American oak, 54.5% ABV, mash bill: 100% malted Scottish barley (Baird’s heavily peated malt), SRP $99.99/ 750ml bottle. Seattle, Washington.
Appearance: The Westland Peat Week Eight is brown-gold of moderate intensity.
Nose: There are moderate notes of amber musk, roasted carrots, raw flour, and vanilla. This leads to appetizing aromas of yellow peaches and graphite with a light hint of clove and brewer’s yeast.
Palate: This tastes predominantly of bananas with a moderate viscosity. In the mouth, the vanilla flavor carries through and shows hints of dried apples. The banana note carries through the finish along with yellow apples. There’s a moderate sweetness and peatiness not on the finish under the fruit. In comparison to the fourth, fifth, and sixth releases, this is the sweetest of the lineup. It’s very pleasant with a gentle burn from the alcohol. A splash of water helps downplay the sweetness and bring forward the peaty aromas.
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