Who is Westland? | A Group of Northwesters with a Clear Vision

At Westland, we are a group of Northwesters with a shared dream—to tell the story of time and place using whiskey as our language. That story begins here in the misty, moss-laden landscapes of the Pacific Northwest, a region defined by its ancient forests, rugged coastlines, fertile farmland, and fiercely independent spirit.

Our vision has always been clear: to build something distinct, something rooted in the landscape that surrounds us, and something that respects tradition while refusing to be bound by it. We look to whiskey not as a static product, but as a medium—a lens through which we can explore our environment, honor our agriculture, challenge assumptions, and spark curiosity. Westland is a whiskey for those who care about what they drink, but even more, where it comes from, who made it, and steps involved before the amber liquid enters the glass.

We are distillers, but even more, we are stewards of a region. We are storytellers. We are custodians of the land and the communities that sustain it. And we believe whiskey has the power to write the very story that sits between our own teeth.

If you want to understand Westland, you may want to start with our co-founder, Matt Hofmann. From a very young age, Matt developed a curiosity that bordered on obsession—an obsession with flavor. The story goes that he once wrote a letter to McDonald’s as a child, asking why they didn’t use better cheese on their burgers. This anecdote often raises a chuckle, but it’s also completely true—and revealing. It illuminates a fundamental belief that would eventually come to define Westland: that flavor is everything, and that quality, integrity, and care are not just details—they are the whole point.

When Matt founded Westland in 2011, he brought this flavor-first mindset to the forefront of American whiskey. But instead of mimicking the traditions of Kentucky or Scotland, he asked a question that would change everything: What does whiskey from the Pacific Northwest taste like? To answer that, we had to begin not in the distillery, but in the field.

Washington State has long been known for its hops and craft beer scene. But fewer people realize that the same elements that make this region ideal for brewing—cool nights, temperate weather, rich alluvial soils, and an independent agricultural industry—also make it one of the best places in the world to grow barley.

Barley became our starting point. And not just any barley, but barley bred and grown with purpose. After all, brewers select their barley malts based on the type of beer they want to make, or the types of flavors they want to exhibit. Why should whiskey be any different? We work directly with farmers and seed breeders in the Skagit and Palouse Valleys to experiment with non-commodity barley strains—heirloom varieties and flavor-forward grains that aren’t necessarily optimized for yield or efficiency, but for character. For depth. For terroir and for flavor.

From the beginning, our approach was different. American whiskey had largely been focused on corn and consistency, shaped by uniformity. We were looking for something else entirely: a whiskey that could express where it was made. A whiskey that could evolve. A whiskey that felt alive. And so American Single Malt became not just a category we established and championed, but a mission we helped shape.

The truth is, American Single Malt barely existed in our founding years at Westland. It was a niche term with no legal definition, no playbook, no expectations. But rather than be discouraged by that lack of tradition, we saw it as an invitation—an open canvas. It allowed us to build something new, on our own terms.

Today, Westland is a founding member of the American Single Malt Whiskey Commission, a group dedicated to establishing and protecting the category here in the United States. We’ve helped push for transparency and standards. And evermore, we’ve pushed for creativity. In our script, innovation isn’t the enemy of tradition—it’s what gives life to the very whiskeys we’ve come to love.

Our process embraces both the old and the new. We mill our own grain. We ferment for long periods using Belgian Saison brewer’s yeast. We mature our whiskey in a wide variety of oak types, including slow-growth air-dried American oak, ex-wine barrels, sherry butts, and even native Garryana oak—a rare species that grows only in the Pacific Northwest and imparts a singular, smoky-sweet intensity to the whiskey.

And we take our time. Westland matures for a minimum of three years, often longer. There are no shortcuts here. Whiskey, like the climate and soil around us, takes time to develop.

Westland can be described as a lighthouse, shining proudly from a bluff in the Northwestern seas. The lighthouse offers a steadfast truth, a clear direction, a safety. But it also calls explorers forward. It asks travelers to keep going. This very spirit is one we bring to our stills, to the casks we fill—the belief that the best whiskey has yet to be made.

We know we’re not reinventing the act of distillation. But what we are doing is redefining what it means to make American whiskey with intention. We’re building deep relationships with maltsters, coopers, brewers, and farmers. We’re reviving forgotten grains and experimenting with new fermentation techniques. We’re taking risks, not because it’s trendy, but because it’s necessary.

And through it all, we’re guided by one central question: Does this add meaning? If it doesn’t, we don’t do it.

When you pick up a bottle of Westland, you’re choosing a whiskey made with integrity, made the slow way—distilled from barley grown in the fields of Washington State, matured in oak sourced with care, and blended with an eye for both artistry and transparency. You’re choosing flavor, yes, but also philosophy. You’re choosing to support a new path for American whiskey, one that prioritizes quality, delayed gratification, and investing in our communities that make it all possible.

Our Flagship American Single Malt reflects and reinforces this very ethos. Built from five different roasted barley malts and matured in multiple cask types, it showcases the breadth of our approach—chocolate, coffee, citrus, leather, spice, all coming together in harmony. But it’s more than a tasting note. It’s a statement of purpose. A reminder that great whiskey isn’t about replicating the past. It’s about making something that matters and illustrates time and place, reaching for flavor to tell the story.

Westland’s commitment to sustainability is not marketing fluff—it’s at the core of our entire operating practice. We source locally to reduce transportation emissions. We support regenerative agriculture, recycle water in our distillation process through our condensers. We use oak that is air-seasoned for years, rather than kiln-dried, to ensure both quality and environmental responsibility. We’ve partnered with various boutique maltsters to develop barley strains that require less fertilizer and water. And we’re actively working to revitalize native oak species quercus garryana, the crown jewel component of our Garryana whiskeys.

When you buy a bottle of Westland, you’re getting something delicious, but you are also investing in a better future, a better way of doing business. You’re buying a time capsule that shares the story of the Pacific Northwest.

There’s a renaissance happening in American whiskey, and Single Malt is at the center. As more drinkers look for authenticity, for craftsmanship, for connection, Westland offers a clear answer. We are a modern distillery built on timeless values. We are serious about flavor, but never precious about how we get there. We are dedicated to quality, but never afraid to break the rules in pursuit of something new.
In a world full of noise, Westland is a signal. A signal that there is more to discover. More to taste. More to say.

So, whether you’re a longtime whiskey lover or new to American Single Malt, we invite you to explore the world of Westland. Pour a glass, explore the possibilities in whiskey. This isn’t just our story—it’s one we’re writing together.