203: Westland Distillery & the American Single Malt Explosion

Our guest this week is Matt Hofman of Westland Distillery.  Matt is the Co-Founder and Master Distiller of Westland Distillery in Seattle, Washington. Matt has passion for exceptional whiskies that reflect the region where they were made. He has received a General Certificate in Distilling from the Institute of Brewing and Distilling in London, as well as a Postgraduate Diploma in Distilling from the International Center for Brewing and Distilling at Heriot-Watt University. Matt's work in American single malt whiskey has been praised by business and trade organizations alike, including being named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2016 and receiving the 2018 American Master Distiller of the Year award by Whisky Magazine.

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Bourbon Lens

About Westland Distillery:

Founded in 2010 and acquired by Remy-Cointreau in 2017, Seattle's Westland Distillery brings a new and uniquely American voice to the world of single malt whiskey by exploring possibilities that have been ignored for generations. Along the way, Westland has been recognized as the country's leading producer of American Single Malt Whiskey and founded the formal establishment of the emerging American Single Malt Whiskey category by starting the American Single Malt Whiskey Commission. While the distillery uses the same basic ingredients and processes used for centuries by traditional Old World single malt producers, it doesn't simply seek to replicate the results of its Scottish predecessors. Instead, Westland works to create whiskies that reflect the distinct qualities of its time, place and culture in the Pacific Northwest. All of Westland's expressions are distilled at the Seattle distillery from 100% malted barley and fermented with a unique Belgian Saison brewer's yeast before maturing in one of a variety of cask types, including new American oak, ex-Bourbon, ex-Sherry, and Garry Oak, to name a few.

 

Coverage and Praise for Westland Distillery:

• Episode 63: Westland American Single Malt Whiskey - Bourbon Lens
• Westland Distillery 
• American Single Malt May Soon Be an Official Designation | Wine Enthusiast
• Westland Distillery Celebrates 8th Annual Peat Week - Bourbon Lens 
• What an Official American Single Malt Category Means for the Future of Whiskey in the U.S. | VinePair
• TTB announces proposed American Single Malt standards
• Follow Matt Hofmann (@matthewhofmann) on Instagram
• American Single Malt Whiskey Commission