Winter Returns: A Whiskey Born From Creative Freedom

Every so often, a whiskey project begins with a question—an invitation. What would Winter taste like if it were interpreted through whiskey?

That was the open-ended ask posed to our Master Blender, setting in motion a creative challenge defined by possibility. There was not set of rules or any specific end goal in the flavor profile or cask components; the only expectation was expression, to create an evocative portrait of Winter in the Pacific Northwest told through American Single Malt.

Winter reminds us that creativity at Westland doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Each of our whiskeys are made by hand without automation, from real people who decipher tasting notes and control when to run the hearts cut of our distillation. The resulting whiskeys show the artisan fingerprints of the people who make the whiskey and the place form which it came.

The final composition of our Winter whiskey leans into contrasts: the nostalgia of vanilla and pastry, the sophistication of fruit and cocoa, and a grounding whisper of peat and wine. The whiskey, we find, is something to linger on, something to sip slowly when the season encourages us indoors.

Nose: Butterscotch ice cream, cinnamon bun, faint cedar, cooked cranberry
Palate: Vanilla bean, dark chocolate, grilled peach, glazed old-fashioned doughnut

Age: 8 years
ABV: 46%
Total bottles: 300  

A foundation of WA Pale malt makes up 80% of the vatting, with 20% Heavily Peated Scottish malt adding structure and depth. That spirit is matured predominantly in 2nd fill Cooper’s Select barrels (80%), with 1st fill Port casks (20%) folded in for rich seasonal warmth.  

The outcome is not a sledgehammer of smoke or fortified sweetness, but something more atmospheric. Peat and port act as tone builders and accent pieces rather than the headline. Winter, and in this case we’re referring to the whiskey, invokes nostalgia and warmth from within.

With just 300 bottles produced, Winter 2025 made its debut exclusively at Westland during last night's Winter Market. Starting now, Washington State addresses are eligible for direct shipping before this release is gone. 

Whether you’ve been waiting eight years for Winter’s return or are discovering it for the first time, this release invites you to slow down, savor, and settle into the season.