Westland Peated Single Malt

Westland Peated Single Malt

Peated whiskey from the USA is a true rarity, but the folk at Westland Distillery have created a real one of a kind. A single malt from their Seattle distillery that has managed to perfectly balance smoke and fruit. Added to subtle notes of herbs and nuts it is a wonderfully original whiskey.

When Seattle’s Westland Distillery decided to make single malt whiskey in the Scottish style on the west coast of America, it turned heads for its approach. While the team behind Westland admires the Scottish bone fides of single malt tradition, they intend to inject a certain amount of American DNA into their bottles. No replicas are being poured here, only straightforward and redefined American single malt.

The Westland peated single malt whiskey is a release that is tested more than most in this arena. Peated malt whiskey has been perfected in Scotland so what could these one-time brewers bring to the distillation process that would improve it?

Westland’s house-style signature five-malt mash bill is the key here. Using a range of malts including Pale Chocolate Malt, Brown Malt, Washington Select Pale Malt, Munich Malt, Extra Special Malt, Washington State Peated Malt and of course Peated Malt this deeply-flavored whiskey finds its personality.

It certainly is a smoky and peated malt whiskey and relies on peated malt from Scotland to cut through the sweeter notes and add lots of flamed orange peel, burning embers, and smoldering moss notes to this peated expression.

The peat character and its malt-focused mash bills deliver lots of smoke as well as grainy textures and fruity notes, with a solid dose of increasing iodine levels for those who can recognize them.

Westland’s Peated Single Malt is filled primarily into new American oak and ex-bourbon casks.

Green herbs and roasted pistachios dominate the nose of this terrific single malt whiskey, followed by a palate of roasted plantains, grainy and fruity notes as well as lots of vanilla beneath the smoky exterior of these malt-focused spirits.

Westland Peated Single Malt whiskey is bottled at 92 proof (46% ABV).