Rum Cask Finish Release Day - Year One

Hours and days turn into years spent filling casks. And as those casks have gracefully matured, our experience of bottling and releasing them into the world has multiplied. We’ve got over a decade of experience with whiskey releases. Some are ornate and regal like our Garryana release days. Others are more intellectual or curious like Peat Week. Turns out, we also know how to throw a good party. So, when it came to the first arrival of Rum Cask Finish, we treated it as a blank canvas. And on June 6th, 2026, the inaugural release day was born: a perfectly jovial afternoon celebration with free-flowing pours, delicious food and enchanting music.

Last weekend, more than two hundred people stepped out of a Seattle rainstorm and into a tasting room transformed into a space much warmer, louder, and just a little tropical. The first pours of our brand new Rum Cask Finish whiskey drew in the crowds. The music carried through the building all afternoon. Friends old and new met up with bright colors, floral patterns, and shared cocktails in laughter.

To celebrate the launch of Rum Cask Finish, we invited some of our favorite people to help shape the day. Seattle cocktail institution Navy Strength built a menu of bright, layered drinks that pulled beautifully from the whiskey’s tropical character. Masakan served deeply comforting Malaysian dishes that somehow made the entire room smell even better than the cocktails already did. DJ Abbie from KEXP kept the energy moving all day long with a soundtrack that made the space feel electric. And thanks to the pastry chef at Wayland Mill, there were delicate little pastries topped with pineapple compote that disappeared almost immediately every time a tray landed.

There was plenty to take home, too. First bottles of Rum Cask Finish made their way into eager hands throughout the afternoon alongside a limited run of bespoke event t-shirts and cocktail glasses designed specially for the release. By the end of the evening, the tasting room looked exactly how we hoped it would: crowded, joyful, slightly chaotic, and full of people lingering longer than they planned to.

Rum Cask Finish was always meant to feel vibrant. The whiskey carries layers of tropical fruit, caramelized sugar, oak spice, and coastal richness that lend themselves naturally to gathering around a table, sharing a pour, and staying awhile. Seeing people connect with it in real time made the release feel especially meaningful.

For everyone who braved the storm to spend the day with us: thank you. You helped turn a rainy Seattle Saturday into a glowing afternoon. Rum Cask Finish is now available online and at the Westland Distillery tasting room while bottles last.