SEATTLE, May 2, 2022 – Westland Distillery’s Outpost Range welcomes Colere Edition 2 American Single Malt Whiskey (50%ABV, 7o0ml, $149.99 SRP) to their growing portfolio of premium single malts that celebrate Pacific Northwest provenance and the new frontiers in whiskey. With a first edition launched in 2021, Colere American Single Malt Whiskey reflects Westland’s core mission to push beyond the old-world conventions and explore new varieties of barley bred outside the commodity system. Only 3,000 bottles of this second edition are available worldwide for purchase at www.westlanddistillery.com/shopfront and where fine whiskeys are sold.

Colere, from the Latin verb meaning “to cultivate,” represents Westland’s vision to leave behind the well-trod territory of ubiquitous grains and venture into the thousands of uncharted barley varieties whose flavor has yet to be considered. Edition 2 is made from Talisman, a 2-row winter variety descended from the irrepressible Marris Otter and matured in only used casks to relegate the oak influence to a supporting role and focus the attention on the grain itself.

“Our second edition of Colere is another example of the possibilities a single malt has, especially when stepping out of the whiskey landscape we’ve inherited and are accustomed to,” says Westland Co-Founder Matt Hofmann. “Already, only two releases in, we are seeing new frontiers opened as the exploration of new and ancient barley varieties continues. With this year’s release it’s not just theoretical, you can taste the impact that barley has on the final flavor.”

Colere Edition 2 Tasting Notes

Colere’s second annual edition continues to put the liquid’s flavor outcome first and foremost (not just yield). The limited bottling is made with Talisman, a 2-row winter variety descended from the irrepressible Marris Otter. The grains are intentionally matured in only used casks – 42% 2nd Fill ISC Cooper’s Reserve and 58% 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon – to relegate the oak influence to a supporting role and focus the attention on the grain itself.                                                                                                                

Nose: Dried lemon peel, vanilla frosting, fresh raspberry

Palate: Light brown sugar, dark chocolate orange, mixed berry filling

In an industry that still insists that barley doesn’t impact flavor, Westland has worked for years with Washington State University’s Bread Lab, located in the Skagit Valley, local maltsters, and local farmers to develop new varieties of barley that prove otherwise.

Westland’s work with these partners prioritizes flavor in breeding barley varieties and more sustainable agricultural methods. In doing so, Westland positions itself as a thought leader in not only global single malt but also the future of agriculture more broadly. To date, they have distilled over 20 different varieties of barley in just ten years (which is more than the entire Scotch whisky industry in hundreds) and has committed nearly 40% of their annual production to these unique barleys.

For information about Westland, please visit www.westlanddistillery.com. High-resolution images and limited-quantity samples are available upon request.

About Westland Distillery
Founded in 2010 and acquired by Remy-Cointreau in 2017, Seattle’s Westland Distillery brings a new and uniquely American voice to the world of single malt whiskey by exploring possibilities that have been ignored for generations. Along the way, Westland has been recognized as the country’s leading producer of American Single Malt Whiskey and founded the formal establishment of the emerging American Single Malt Whiskey category by starting the American Single Malt Whiskey Commission. While the distillery uses the same basic ingredients and processes used for centuries by traditional Old World single malt producers, it doesn’t simply seek to replicate the results of its Scottish predecessors. Instead, Westland works to create whiskies that reflect the distinct qualities of its time, place and culture in the Pacific Northwest. All of Westland’s expressions are distilled at the Seattle distillery from 100% malted barley and fermented with a unique Belgian Saison brewer’s yeast before maturing in one of a variety of cask types, including new American oak, ex-Bourbon, ex-Sherry, and Garry Oak, to name a few.