Seattle’s Westland Distillery Celebrates Annual Peat Week

by Gary Carter
January 14, 2022

Every year since 2015, Westland Distillery has celebrated “Peat Week” with a bottling, and this year’s no different.

The Seattle distillery’s 8th Annual Peat Week Festival bottling will be the last of the current series of Circus-themed bottlings made from Scottish peated barley.

That’s because as the smoke clears from this year’s celebration, Westland will introduce an entirely new expression of peat with the debut of Solum American Single Malt Whiskey, created using peat sourced locally in Washington State.

Peat Week will continue, the distiller said, and Solum (the final member of Westland’s Outpost Range which celebrates Pacific Northwest provenance) will become the annual festival bottling.

Westland’s 8th Annual Peat Week Festival American Single Malt Whiskey distiller’s notes:

Nose: Floral and fruit wax, pastry dough, charred cinnamon toast.
Palate: Savory smoke, espresso, chocolate chip cookie dough.
Malt: Baird’s Heavily Peated Malt.
Cask: New American Oak Cooper’s Reserve.
Yeast: Belgian Saison Brewer’s Yeast.
Total Maturation: 86 months.
ABV/Proof: 54.5% /109.
Suggested Retail Price: $99.99.

“We’re so excited for the release of Solum in 2023 but also feeling a bit nostalgic this year,” said Matt Hoffman, Westland’s master distiller and co-founder, in a prepared statement. “For Peat Week this year, we’ll celebrate the latest expression but also revisit favorites from the past eight years at events we’re hosting at the distillery.”

In addition to the annual Peat Week release, Westland will host its annual week of events, featuring the Peat Week Symposium on Jan. 25th from 6-8 p.m. PST, this being a look back at the Peat Week releases from years past. During the Peat Week Cocktail Class, Westland’s in-house beverage curator will provide tips on how to create peated alchemy at home. Both are already sold out, showcasing how popular Peat Week is as a whole.

For information about Westland or to find distillery-exclusive expressions, check out www.westlanddistillery.com.