I have not had any of the Westland peat week releases since 2021, and it is my understanding that the series ended this year. I picked up this bottle back when I was first getting deeper into single malts and really excited by the possibilities and potential of the American Single Malt scene. That industry sector has continued to grow, albeit more slowly than perhaps many would like, and I cannot wait to see what comes in the future… even if the Westland peat week will not be part of it.

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Whisky: Westland 5th Annual Peat Week 2019 Edition

Country/Region: United States/Washington

ABV: 50%

Cask: First Fill Bourbon, New Oak, Refill Casks

Age: 3 Years (Bottled 2019)

Notes: Seaside campfires delighted the senses with burnt wood, soft maritime brine, stone, moss, and smoke. The aroma was clean and coastal with a soft mineral bite, digestif biscuits, chocolate, marshmallow, and salmon jerky— what abomination of a s’more am I describing? Medium-bodied, the flavor profile was sweet and acrid with more tar and creosote to the smoke as grass and heather burned on the shore. A touch of tobacco ash lingered with peppery brine and sandy earth and minerals— quite the place to enjoy a pack of molasses biscuits flavored with a kiss of ginger, roasted marshmallow, and Peep’s marshmallow candies . The finish was medium-length with ash, pepper, brine, and a touch of molasses.

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Score: 7 (83)

Mental Image: Blasphemous S’More Experimentation

Conclusion: In hindsight, it is remarkable how this whisky set me off on a quest to try more peated Westland— a quest that largely ended up a fool’s errand as I never found another that scratched the same coastal itch. This peated malt would have been right at home on Islay with a good enough disguise to slip into a blind Islay whisky tasting. It had none of the banana notes that turned me off on some of the other peated Westland (I know some love those notes… I do not), and all of the coastal goodness I do love from Caol Ila or Ledaig. Overall, a lovely bottle— though one I rarely feel compelled to pour.