First Impressions
Westland Peated takes the distillery's signature five-malt mash and swaps in barley kilned with Scottish peat — a deliberate echo of Islay reframed through Pacific Northwest barley and new American oak.
Distillery & Heritage
Westland was founded in 2010 with a mission to express Pacific Northwest provenance through single malt whiskey. The Peated expression demonstrates that smoke need not mean Scotch — Westland uses peated malt from Bairds in Inverness combined with its Washington-grown specialty malts, all matured primarily in new American oak rather than refill bourbon barrels.
Tasting Notes in Detail
The nose marries wood smoke and smoked almond with vanilla and dried apricot from new oak. The palate delivers campfire smoke wrapped around malt loaf and dark chocolate, with a brush of sea salt and charred oak from the virgin barrels. The finish is long, sweetly smoky and cocoa-laced.
Verdict
A peated whisky with a thoroughly American accent. Drinkers expecting Islay will be surprised; those looking for smoke layered over Westland's signature malt richness will be delighted.
