Westland American Oak American Single Malt Whiskey
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2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition Gold Medal Winner
Wine Enthusiast 100 Best Sprits of 2021
In producing our range of American Single Malt Whiskeys, Westland looks to adopt the same basic raw materials and processes used for generations in the old world, but we don't simply seek to replicate the results. Instead, we work to create whiskies that reflect the distinct qualities of their time, place and culture in the Pacific Northwest. Westland American Oak stands as our greatest departure from Scottish whiskey-making tradition. Bringing together our signature five-malt barley bill with new American oak casks—two things practically unheard of in the old world—this flagship whiskey expresses the true provenance of our Pacific Northwest home.
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Westland’s flagship single malt opens with oak tones on the nose and palate. With time and maybe a splash of water, vanilla and cocoa come forward, finishing drying with lemon-pepper heat
Founded in 2010, Seattle’s Westland Distillery has quickly become recognized as the country’s leading producer of American Single Malt Whiskey. While the distillery uses the same basic ingredients and processes used for centuries by traditional Old World single malt producers, it doesn’t simply seek to replicate the results of its Scottish predecessors. Instead, Westland works to create whiskies that reflect the distinct qualities of their time, place and culture in the Pacific Northwest.
“We honor the central traditions of whiskey-making that have been in place for hundreds of years,” says Co-Founder and Master Distiller Matt Hofmann who was named one of Forbes Magazine’s 2015 Thirty Under 30 in America, and Wine Enthusiast’s 2016 Forty Under 40 Tastemakers. “But rather than trying to mimic the character of Scotch whisky, our goal is to express our own unique terroir to bring a new and uniquely American voice to the world of single malts.”
Inspired by Pacific Northwest beer culture, Westland uses 100% malted barley, roasted to bring a unique flavors of chocolate and coffee. The distillery is also working with local farmers and maltsters in the Pacific Northwest, to develop entirely new varieties of barley never-before used in whiskey. “Our aim is to create single malt whiskey that has a real sense of place. Because Washington State is a such rich, fertile region for barley farming, it’s only natural they we pursue single malt whiskey here,” explains Hofmann.