The Birth of a Category

From day one, with ambition and resolve, we set out to create a compelling spirit indicative of a distinct time and place. Through various experiments and trials, we set our stake on this front, this desire, to distill American Single Malt whiskey in the Pacific Northwest. Creating this age-old, traditional style of whiskey was in our DNA since the very beginning, and we created it because we felt compelled to pursue it and explore it. Then, as the days and years rolled by and we continued forward, we found ourselves trapped, making whiskey for a category that did not exist. The USA Trade & Tax Bureau (TTB) had no place for American Single Malt whiskey, and consumers had little understanding of the whiskeys we bottled. At the time Westland was founded, American whiskey was either bourbon, rye, or overlooked. We wanted to shake the system in place: with inspiration from the old world in Scotland but an innovative spirit, we set out to create something entirely different.

Now at this distinct moment, in the year 2025, history will re-write itself. The TTB, the body for regulating the types and classes of distilled spirits produced and bottled in the USA, had not published a new category of whiskey in over 30 years. Since day one, we’ve had our eyes on the future of whiskey as American Single Malt, and now the category will make its official mark with the TTB ratification in January of 2025, and a new category will be officially established for American Single Malt Whiskey. This foundational moment in time, for us, shows a build of momentum and a new vision being established nationally, and a strong, emotional belief that there is possibility ahead.

The journey to category ratification has been a long and winding road, and one that has taken place over years of deliberation, collaboration, and creativity. It has been boundary-pushing and fearless. After years of distilling whiskey in a category that did not exist, we at Westland decided to address the need at hand and take action to formally establish a new category of whiskey. So, in March of 2016, in the midst of a blizzard on Chicago’s north side, Westland assembled a small group of distillers from across the country to define American Single Malt Whiskey and form the trade body to establish, promote, and protect the category across the world. The founding members included Balcones Distilling, F.E.W. Spirits, Santa Fe Spirits, Virginia Distillery Co., Westward Distillery, Copperworks Distilling, Headframe Spirits, Triple Eight Distillery, and, of course, our team from Westland Distillery. At this meeting, we constructed the unique standards of identity, which are published in the formal definition for American Single Malt Category that will be recognized come January 2025. The original published Standards of Identity for American Single Malt Whiskey, (which will be followed in legislation):

• Made From 100% Malted Barley
• Distilled Entirely At One Distillery
• Mashed, Distilled, And Matured In The United States of America
• Matured In Oak Casks Of A Capacity Not Exceeding 700 Liters
• Distilled To No More Than 160 (US) Proof (80% Alcohol By Volume)
• Bottled At 80 (US) Proof Or More (40% Alcohol By Volume)

Our goal collectively has always been to establish the foundation of this new category and promote it. In this endeavor, Westland stands at the forefront, as a leader. Gathering around, advocating for, and enacting a new category has been something of a surreal experience, unpredictable and at times, slow-moving. But it is at this point we mark the birth of something new and set our vision for what it could ultimately grow up to be. From day one, we have believed that American Single Malt Whiskey has the potential to rewrite the narrative of American whiskey as we know it, and even fundamentally alter the idea of what whiskey means at a global level.

At the core of Westland has always been the idea that there is more to be explored in single malt whiskey. And as Americans, we have always been naturally inclined to challenge conventional thinking. The American Single Malt movement is a manifestation of these ideals. America is adding its own voice to the history of whiskey, and though we’re reaching a landmark moment, we believe that the future of whiskey is still yet to be written and seen.

Our modus operandi stands true as “perpetual forward motion.” Growth happens along the uncertain path. As an entity that keeps exploration at the forefront, we remain fixed at the helm of the unknowable. With grit in our teeth, we proudly saw the potential in single malt whiskey almost fifteen years ago. This faith has only been strengthened by what we have learned to date and what we see from where we stand today. Like our ancestors before us, we saw the West ahead of us at our founding and were encouraged to explore. Only now we’re deep into the wild of it, invigorated not by what we’ve passed through but what we see ahead of us. The future of whiskey lies ahead, and we set our sight before us: Ever Forward.