Westland Distillery

Westland Distillery is a distillery in Seattle. Their Garryana single malt whiskey was placed third best in the world in a 2023 blind taste test conducted by Whisky Advocate magazine.[1] Garryana is aged in barrels made from Pacific Northwest native Garry oak, Quercus garryana.[2] The company has a farm for experimental craft malting barley varieties in the Skagit Valley, north of Seattle, as well as purchasing barley from Skagit Valley Malting there.[3]

Theft

In July 2025, Westland Distillery was the victim of a sophisticated theft where a truck went to the Burlington, Washington warehouse with apparently valid documents and drove off with ten-year old Garryana and other whiskeys worth at least $924,000. The incident was investigated by the Skagit County Sheriff in August, and reported to the public in September.[4][5]

Awards

In 2023 the distillery's Garryana 8th Edition was ranked third worldwide on Whisky Advocate's annual Top 20 Whiskeys list, making it the highest-ranked American whiskey that year.[1][6]

In 2024 Westland's Wine Cask Finish American Single Malt placed #20 on Whisky Advocate's Top 20 Whiskeys of 2024, marking the second consecutive year that the distillery was included in the publication's international rankings.[7] In 2024 the distillery was also awarded Double Gold medal at the New York International Spirits Competition for one of their Cask expressions, judged by a panel of industry professionals.[8]

In international competitions, Westland has maintained a consistent presence at the World Whiskies Awards. In 2023, the distillery was named Best American Single Malt, also securing a Category Winner title and additional Gold and silver medals for various releases. The following year, the Solum Edition 2 received a bronze medal in the World Whiskies Awards' single malt category.[9]

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