Westland Distillery has released the second of the three annual limited editions in the Outpost Range: Colere Edition 1 American Single Malt Whiskey, a single malt that demonstrates that barley does indeed contribute to flavor in single malt.
Colere Edition 1 is made from a new variety of barley called Alba, 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, 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.
“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 for years with Washington State University’s Bread Lab, located in the Skagit Valley, local maltsters, and local farmers to develop new varieties of barley that prove otherwise. The distillery’s work with these partners prioritizes flavor in breeding barley varieties and more sustainable agricultural methods. In doing so, Westland positions itself as a thought leader in not only global single malt but also the future of agriculture more broadly. To date, they have distilled over 20 different varieties of barley in just ten years (which is more than the entire Scotch whisky industry in hundreds) and has committed nearly 40% of their annual production to these unique barleys.
First introduced August 2020, Westland’s Outpost Range reflects the Seattle distiller’s core mission to push beyond the old-world conventions to pursue new possibilities in single malt.
Only 2,893 bottles of Westland Colere Edition 1 is available worldwide now for $149.99.
