Westland Distillery

Overview of the Distillery

Westland Distillery is an American single malt producer from the Pacific Northwest, combining a recognizable house style with bold experimentation in local casks. The distillery works with New American Oak, native Garryana oak, and cask finishes based on regional wine and beer casks. The products are offered through an online shop with the option for distillery pickup and regional shipping.

History

Westland's engagement with native Garryana wood began in November 2011, when they placed spirit in local oak barrels to explore the character of the wood. In the years that followed, over more than a decade the distillery developed a signature American Single Malt (Flagship), a range of Garryana editions, and special series such as Solum and Cask Exploration. The Garryana series is released as numbered editions to demonstrate different aspects of native oak; in 2026 the series reached an important milestone with Garryana 10th Edition, their first age-stated Garryana release, which was also recognized at Spill Awards. Parallel, the Cask Exploration line has formalized collaborations with regional breweries and wineries to expand the cask palette.

Raw Materials and Production

Westland builds many expressions on a blend of malts, including their 'Signature Five Malt' together with Washington Pale Malts, and Flagship is described specifically as based on roasted malts. The house style combines New American Oak with occasional use of Oloroso finish and a smaller proportion of peated spirit for balance. The Solum series focuses on Northwest peat and uses refill Westland casks together with new American oak in maturation. The Cask Exploration projects involve partnerships with regional breweries and wineries, where saison, stout, Scotch ale, and doppelbock finishes, as well as Cabernet, Syrah and Tempranillo wine finishes, are involved in developing finished expressions.

Maturation and Cask Types

The maturation strategy ranges from standard New American Oak in the core range to targeted use of native Garryana casks in the Garryana series (first & second fill). Wine Cask Finish uses combinations of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Tempranillo and local blends for both full maturation and finishing, while Beer Cask Finish incorporates saison, stout, Scotch ale, and doppelbock finishes. Additionally Pedro Ximenez hogsheads as well as rum and ex-bourbon casks are used as secondary elements in certain releases.

Whiskies

The portfolio ranges from Flagship, the distillery's signature American Single Malt, to series with a clear focus: Garryana explores native oak in numbered editions; Solum investigates Northwest peat; Cask Exploration demonstrates the effects of regional wine and beer casks and are available individually or as combo sets. The products are marketed primarily via the online shop, where several releases appear as limited editions.

Whisky	Type / Series	Alcohol	Age	Cask & Style	Flavor Profile	Status
Westland Flagship	American Single Malt			New American Oak and Oloroso Sherry (finish); finish: short use of Oloroso noted as part of the house style; smoky/peaty	The distillery's signature American Single Malt, binding roasted malts, New American Oak and a touch of peated spirit into a cohesive house style. Nose: Custard filling, marionberry compote, maple brittle, toasted marshmallow. Taste: Almond nougat, crème brûlée, black tea, white flower petals, malted milk balls.	Current; Core range; Online shop / distillery pick-up
Westland Flagship: 375ml Format	American Single Malt			New American Oak and Oloroso Sherry (finish); finish: Part of the house style; smoky/peaty	Half-bottle edition of Flagship, suitable for tasting or gifting. Nose: Custard filling, marionberry compote, maple brittle, toasted marshmallow. Taste: Almond nougat, crème brûlée, black tea, white flower petals, malted milk balls.	Current; Core range; Online shop / distillery pick-up
Garryana 10th Edition	American Single Malt	50 %	10 Years	First & Second Fill Garry Oak, Pedro Ximenez Hogshead, Rum and Ex-Bourbon; finish: Used as secondary cask type and secondary maturation	A 10-year-old, age-stated release in the Garryana series, designed to highlight native Garryana oak's contribution to Pacific Northwest terroir. Nose: Mulled Wine, Clove, Walnut Fudge Brownie, Lemon Danish Pastry; Taste: S’mores, Dehydrated Strawberry, Toasted Cumin, Blood Orange	Limited; Online shop / limited stock
Garryana 9th Edition	American Single Malt			Garry Oak and Oloroso Sherry	Edition 9 highlights the contrast between bright pale malt elements and the darker Garry Oak profile. Nose: Burnt marshmallow, biscuit, mocha, almond cream. Taste: Ground clove, cinnamon stick, peppermint tea, bread pudding.	Limited; Online shop / limited stock
Garryana 7th Edition	American Single Malt			Garry Oak and Washington Wine	Edition 7 shows the interaction between Garry Oak and robust Washington wine casks with spicy and fruity elements. Nose: Blackberry compote, clove, pizza crust, apple turnover. Taste: Molasses, charred cedar, black currant, dry apple cider.	Limited; Online shop / limited stock
Beer Cask Finish	American Single Malt; Cask Exploration			Saison, Stout, Scotch Ale, Doppelbock casks; finish: Uses beer casks for a lighter, malt-forward profile with tropical fruit notes	A cask-finished release that integrates regional beer casks to explore the malt's fruity and light aspects. Nose: Dried peach, honeydew melon, eggnog cake, cocoa powder. Taste: Vanilla pastry cream, caramel sauce, lavender green tea.	Current; Online shop
Wine Cask Finish	American Single Malt; Cask Exploration			Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Tempranillo, Washington Red Blend casks; finish: Both full maturation and finishing in wine casks for deep fruit and tannin	A wine cask-based release in Cask Exploration, nominated as one of Whisky Advocate's Most Exciting Whiskies of 2024. Nose: Allspice, raspberry reduction, chocolate wafer, dried rose. Taste: Chocolate raspberry turnover, Earl Grey tea, dried strawberry	Current; Online shop
Cask Exploration Set	Set / Box (Wine & Beer Cask Finish)				A set that combines Wine Cask Finish and Beer Cask Finish to demonstrate the effects of regional wine and beer casks on Westland's single malt.	Current; Online shop
Solum Edition 3	American Single Malt			Refill Westland casks and New American Oak; smoky/peaty	The Solum series explores Northwest peat and uses a combination of refill Westland casks and new American oak to achieve a nuanced, lightly smoky profile. Nose: Vanilla custard, pralines, grilled pineapple, croissant. Taste: Toasted sourdough, cedar, baked pear, candied ginger.	Current; Online shop

The Style and Flavor Profiles of the Whiskies

Three through-lines recur across several products: pastry and dessert notes such as custard, crème brûlée, and toasted marshmallow; fruity and berry-like elements such as marionberry, raspberry reduction, and dehydrated strawberry; and warm spices such as clove, allspice, and toasted cumin. These elements complement each other and are often anchored in oak expressions from either Garryana or New American Oak.

Visit the Distillery

The distillery's online shop supports whisky purchases with the option for distillery pickup. Shipping of whiskey is indicated as available for residents of Washington State, and the webshop also offers U.S. shipping for non-whisky items. In-store pickup is listed as an explicit service in the webshop.

Philosophy and Craft

Westland focuses on expressing Pacific Northwest terroir through the choice of wood types and finishes, as well as through collaborations with local breweries and wineries. The work with Quercus garryana, combined with a consistent house style and experimental cask finishes, demonstrates a strategy that both honors local resources and seeks to define an Americanized single malt identity.

Awards and Recognitions

Best American Whiskey (2026, Garryana 10th Edition)
Most Exciting Whiskey (#20) (2024, Wine Cask Finish)
Whisky Advocate Top 20 selection (Garryana 9th Edition)