DISTILLERY PROFILE

Go Westland

Our recent flurry of casks from American distilleries is continuing at pace. For our next instalment, SMWS ambassador Lee ‘Connas’ Connor had a chat with Westland’s Ana Hinz and Tyler Pederson to find out what they’re bringing to the whiskey scene in Washington State

Whisky the world over has embedded itself as far more than ‘just a drink’. The rise in its popularity has spawned a deeper knowledge and understanding of it, not only in terms of how it’s made but the culture and community it has inspired. Seattle’s Westland distillery have traversed their first 14 years embracing one key characteristic – transparency.

“Take a look at our website,” says master distiller Tyler Pederson. “It’s all on there. Mash bills, yeast strains, cask types for every release, you name it!”

Frankly, he’s not wrong. A quick scan on https://www.westlanddistillery.com/ will reward you with a treasure trove of information on production and processes. Though the question remains – how do you go about designing and delivering a new whiskey?

“Great question!” Tyler says. “We have a great tradition of innovative drinks production here in Seattle, coffee, wine and especially beer. The ground here and in the wider Washington State area is perfect for growing barley, and we’ve had a thriving craft beer culture dating back 30 plus years. Our intention is to emulate and enhance that culture through whiskey making.”

ABOVE: inside the lab at Westland distillery

CREATING FLAVOUR

This aim is formulated in Westland’s innovative mash bill. A traditional malt distillery might order batches of malt based on minimum specifications with the intention being to plan for the exact spirit style they hope to create. Occasionally they might add, say, a speciality varietal, or barley from one specific farm. Westland, however, have developed a unique five malt approach, utilising some ideas perhaps more reflective of something we’re used to seeing in craft beer.

Put simply, they source most of their barley from Washington state, and then take advantage of the ‘roasting levels’ employed during malting as an antecedent to creating flavour.

These include:

  • Pale malt, similar to traditional malt used in single malt Scotch
  • Munich malt (traditionally used in lager style beers) to encourage nutty flavours
  • Extra special pale malt, a secret malt recipe from Wisconsin for sweeter flavours like sugar cone and toasted marshmallow
  • Brown malt, for hazel and pecan notes
  • Pale chocolate malt to contribute coffee, chocolate and tobacco characteristic to the final spirit.

Westland also use Belgian brewer’s yeast and work with 65 different cask types from a variety of cooperages to create a diverse foundation of styles when crafting a release.

With so many variables in their processes it is understandable that the spirit style ‘off the still’ can fluctuate. As Tyler explains: “It’s really interesting, although there are undoubtedly similarities with every run. The spirit can present with varying notes from our mash bill and fermentation at the fore.

Whether it’s the nutty flavour dominating from our brown malt, or more of a roasty note from the chocolate malt or even more fruity notes formed during fermentation, there are always differing qualities playing a role in the bigger story.”

ABOVE: the stillroom set-up at Westland

ABOVE: Taking a sample in Westland’s warehouse

A CURIOUS COMMUNITY

It would be easy to assume that such an expanse of production possibilities may overwhelm the average whisky buyer in a fledgeling market. However, the transparency employed at Westland has spawned the emergence of a community of distillery devotees hungry for all the information they can get.

And Ana is a great example of how this community can become an important asset.

“I was a total Westland nerd,” she says. “I’d be looking out for new releases and scoping all the information I could find out about them. Mash bills, fermentation times, casks used, I wanted all of it!

“Now that I work here, I’m actively involved in communicating with my fellow enthusiasts about the very thing that attracted me to Westland in the first place. I’ve kind of lucked out in that regard.”

PART OF THE FAMILY

As Westland are a flavour-forward whiskey maker with a strong community of followers, they have more than enough in the way of credentials for working with us here at the SMWS. And Tyler also embraces the potential for self-reflection in our collaboration.

“We realise that we’re comparatively young here at Westland. I love that we can work with someone like the SMWS, with proven pedigree and a dedicated following. I’m well aware of the fact that people appreciate different things in every different whisky. I’m looking forward to seeing how we’re received by SMWS members and what we can learn from sharing a part of our journey with you.”

It’s been almost seven years since the Society’s first release from Westland, with Cask No. 133.1: Speakeasy sneaky peeky. Look out for more from this innovative distillery coming your way soon.

ABOVE: Westland takes pride in its approach to transparency over all of its production processes