Solum, the Mystery of Peat

Since the beginning, Westland has discovered profound inspiration from the land and soil around us in the Pacific Northwest. Each year we distill and continue to age our whiskeys; we discover time and time again that our own backyard remains the perfect region and climate for single malt whiskey production. Around us, between the breathtaking mountain peaks, lies acres and acres of soil that are perfectly matched for growing barley, as well as a gentle maritime climate that encourages a rich and nuanced maturation for our resting casks.

When we first started distilling, we felt a burning curiosity for the possibility of sourcing peat in our own backyard. Being a single malt distiller, we knew we wanted to explore peat as it pertains to whiskey. But what is peat, exactly? It is essentially an earthen sponge of compacted dirt, a very rich soil that holds decomposing plants and thousands of microorganisms, held together in water. This is an ancient fuel source. Peat grows very slowly (about 1mm per year) in marshes, or in water-logged wetland masses. Peat bogs are covered in specific plants and topsoil materials that slowly decompose and stay preserved under water. The spongy and submerged ecosystem flourishes because the hosted microorganisms and plant life within the peat do not deteriorate as quickly as they would with normal oxygen exposure.

Traditionally for the whiskey industry in Scotland, peat bogs are drained of their water and what’s left is a dense dirt, millennia of slow-grown peat layers on display. Then, with a spade tool, bricks of the peat are cut and set outside to dry. These dense bricks lighten slightly and then become the perfect fuel for burning to produce heat or energy. In Scotland and Ireland, peat has been used for centuries as fuel for ovens, as well as for floor malting. Lighting the peat produces a slow smoking burn, which was the agent used for drying barley as it starts to germinate in malthouses. Wet grain acted as a magnet for the phenolic smokey chemical compounds. These phenolics, now measured in parts per million (PPM), can indicate just how “peaty” the grain is for distilling. It is this very process of producing peated malt that gives it the characteristically smoky flavor profile, and different peat from different regions in Scotland create slightly unique flavor profiles. Islay’s peated malts showcase as classically briny and salty, and the Highland peats typically more herbaceous and woodier.

When Westland started making whiskey, we immediately searched for peated malts in the USA. Asserting our best efforts, we soon discovered the only peated malts we could buy come from the United Kingdom, the region which has created peated whiskeys for centuries. When looking domestically, no distilleries or malthouses were creating peated malt. Soon we found that this is not actually due to any shortage of peat bogs, but instead, the regulation on wetlands in the USA. Though peat covers almost two percent of the earth’s biodiverse surface, many American peat bogs are protected wetlands that cannot be excavated for peat harvesting like they are in Scotland or Ireland.

It took nearly no time at all to discover a peat bog in Washington State. Our co-founder opened google maps and searched the words “peat bog” and came up with a residence on the Olympic Peninsula that, sure enough, housed a peat bog. We eventually connected with the property owner, and they were open to working together to harvest some peat with minimal impact. Faced with the vast unknown and no supply chain, we at Westland still wanted to stay true to our conviction of making a Single Malt Whiskey truly indicative of the place from which it came. With no infrastructure, we set out to open our own malthouse to create a bespoke peated malt unlike anything we could find in the marketplace.

In the year 2012, just weeks after drawing up loose plans to open a malthouse, our team attended a grain conference in the Skagit Valley. At this conference, we connected with the early founders of Skagit Valley Malting, who were there to open a craft malting facility near Mount Vernon, Washington. Call it kismet, but a partnership was born so that we could make the impossible possible and together explore the future of whiskey. The years passed, and we met with growers and maltsters to eventually create the first ever American Peated Malt.

After years of building the infrastructure and working with regional partners, in 2016 we finally distilled our first ever batch of Washington Peated Malt. This brought immense excitement knowing the fauna and climate of our region are entirely different than that found in the Scottish or Irish peat bogs. This was years in the making, different tests and iterations in the malthouse and in the distillery that amounted to this moment, and we were truly just beginning. The possibilities seemed endless, and the time ahead still loomed ahead of us, the wait for maturation. To our knowledge, no one had ever created a peated malt or a peated whiskey entirely in the United States.

Fast forward to 2023, the first ever release of Solum American Single Malt Whiskey. This was brought into the world with a unique tasting of different vintages of the spirit sitting in our warehouse, noting the fluctuating differences in profile from various experiments done. The whiskey was met with raving reviews, including a Gold Medal and the “Best American Single Malt” at the World Drinks Awards.

With each bottle of Solum, we’re unearthing eons of flavor imparted by the flora unique to this place. The peat of the Pacific Northwest has a completely different organic makeup than that of Scotland, resulting in a totally different flavor profile. Botanicals like Labrador Tea, an aromatic shrub, bring unique qualities to our regional peat. We taste notes of sourdough, candied ginger, and the whiskey almost has a menthol quality to it.

Our Master Blender Shane Armstrong remarks that “Solum contains the most obvious connection to our Pacific Northwest region, while drawing a direct line to the lineage of single malt whiskey making. So far, the flavors trend toward the earthier end of peat, moss and sage, with lighter charred wood notes. This character contrasts the medicinal and overt wood smoke found in other peated whiskies.” We specifically age Solum in used casks and new oak to create a balanced profile that still highlights the unique profile of the new-make spirit. This is a peated whiskey unlike any other.

Solum Edition 3 will make its mark as it becomes available in February, and other Westland bottlings will come in the future as we continue to explore the possibilities in single malt. The path forward remains unknown, but we look ahead with a bright optimism, delighting in whatever we may uncover next.