Westland Distillery - Garryanna American Single Malt 4.1 Release 2019 Edition

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Westland Distillery was founded with 1 intention: put America on the global single malt map.

Unlike most Scotch producers, the Seattle based distillery is not afraid to get experimental. Their core expression utilizes 5 types of malted barley, aged in 5 different oak casks.

In 2016, Westland set new precedents by introducing a new species of oak to the world of whiskey, Quercus Garryana. Native to the Pacific Northwest, Garryana reveals the unique expressions of the regions terroir.

With over a decade’s worth of hard work, the folks at Westland Distillery are undeniably pioneers of the new category.

I’m a wood nerd. This extends well beyond whiskey: I like trees, wood floors, wood furniture, wood burning, etc. In terms of whiskey, I’ve become keenly interested in the properties of different species of oak and their regional growing patterns. This explains why I pay the keenest attention to what Seattle’s Westland Distillery does with their use of Garryana Oak, a species particular to their region.

Talking whiskey terroir is a thing nowadays, and there are more than a few critics who blast the notion that a distilled product should be thought of in this way. Both sides of the argument have their points, although I find it hard to dispute that a region can have a particular identity unique onto itself when it has its own climate and its own wood, when barrel maturation can contribute up to 80% of the flavor of a whiskey.

This year’s Native Oak Series release was made from spirit fermented with Belgian Brewer’s Yeast, and aged in Ex-Rye (29%), Ex-Bourbon (29%), Garryana Oak (19%), PX Sherry Hogshead (16%), Refill Garry Oak (7%) casks for between 44 and 75 months. The production run yielded 3,750 bottles at 100 proof.

My pour had a gold coloring, and the swish and coat yielded a plentiful supply of skinny legs. The nose was milk chocolate, honey and blueberries, balanced by notes of peppermint and oak. When I took a sip, the peppermint turned to just plain pepper, leading hand in glove with cinnamon and wood. The milk chocolate, honey and blueberries came on in a second wave, basically turning the nose on its head. That reversal became especially pronounced when I put some time between the nosing and the sipping. The finish closed out on peppery wood.

Whiskey Reviewer