Westland Distillery Colere Edition 1 American Single Malt Whiskey is the newest release from the Seattle craft distillery.
Colere Edition 1 is part of the producer’s Outpost Range, which was first introduced in August of 2020 as a line of experimental American single malts.
This new whiskey is 100 proof. Colere Edition 1 was made from a new variety of barley called Alba, the company says. A six-row winter barley, Alba is bred and grown “outside the commodity system” in Washington State’s Skagit Valley, which lies an hour north of Westland’s distillery in Seattle.
Colere Edition 1 matured in used casks — 62% second fill ISC Cooper’s Reserve, and 38% first fill ex-bourbon.
On the nose are roasted pineapples with a floral character, plus Life cereal, grape soda, cookie dough and roasted almond notes joining, the company reports. On the palate, pineapple headlines the fruitiness, with original Wheat Thins, black pepper and fig bar, as well as gingerbread cake driven by the malt.
Only 2,893 bottles of this first edition are available, starting this month for purchase at shop.westlanddistillery.com and at retailers worldwide.
Colere Edition 1 is the second of the three annual limited editions in the Outpost Range. The suggested retail price is $149.99 per 750-ml. bottle.
Colere, from a Latin verb meaning “to cultivate,” represents Westland’s vision to “leave behind the well-trod territory of ubiquitous grains and venture into the thousands of uncharted barley varietals whose flavor has yet to be considered,” the company says.
“Colere has been years in the making and we’re thrilled to present this first edition,” says Westland Co-Founder Matt Hofmann. “The project celebrates terroir in whiskey and takes a big step towards reconnecting our industry with agriculture, something that has been unfortunately lost over the past several decades.”
Westland has worked with Washington State University’s Bread Lab, located in the Skagit Valley, local maltsters and local farmers to develop new varieties of barley that support the concept of whiskey terroir. Westland’s work with these partners prioritizes flavor in breeding barley varieties and more sustainable agricultural methods, the company says. In doing so, Westland means to position itself as a thought leader in not only global single malt but also the future of agriculture more broadly.
