Westland Is Back With 6th Peat Week

Where there’s smoke there’s… peat – and a reason to celebrate! A festival of peat takes over Seattle, thanks to Westland Distillery’s sixth-annual Peat Week, January 21-25, hosted at Westland Distillery in the city’s SoDo district. The week of reek culminates with the release of the distillery’s annual festival bottling of American Single Malt Whiskey, available exclusively at the distillery. Matured in a French Oak puncheon (a first for Westland), this year’s release boasts a single vision, a single cask, and a single opportunity to bask in the smoke.

“Cask 3369 marks our first foray into French Oak with its precise tannins and herbal spice,” explains Westland’s blender Shane Armstrong. “The cask was constructed to wine industry specifications; its medium toast and absence of char layer gives the spirit a distinctly weighty mouthfeel.”

This sixth Westland peated whiskey was bottled at 60.4% ABV; used Baird’s Heavily Peated Malt; saw 50 months of aging; retails for $99.99 SRP; and produced 580 bottles in total)

The annual festival’s events will include:

• Symposium – Tuesday, January 21, 7-10pm at Westland Distillery: An evening of conversation focused on the role of smoke in food. Panelists from the culinary world, including Chef Edouardo ofJordan, Salare and June Baby, Chef Kris Kim of Willows Inn, and Chef Mike Kramer and Pit Boxx Matt David, Woodshop BBQ, will join Westland’s Master Distiller, Matt Hofmann, for a discussion and tasting of various smoked foods and peated whiskies. ($30; tickets available here.)
• Cocktail Competition – Thursday, January 23, 7-10pm, at Cursed Oak: The winners of Westland’s neighborhood-to-neighborhood Peated Cocktail Competition will throw down to determine the best and most delicious Peated American Single Malt Cocktail in Seattle; ticket includes competing cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and a chance to vote on the best peated cocktail in the city. ($45; tickets available here.)
• Peat Week American Single Malt Release – Saturday, January 25; distillery opens at 11am; only 590 bottles available.