This Seattle-based distillery makes single malts of a charmingly American nature.
AWARD WINNING
Westland was crowned Craft Producer of the Year at the Icons of Whisky 2016.
A CASE FOR CASCADIA
This Seattle-based distillery makes single malts of a charmingly American nature.
An American single malt whiskey really shouldn’t be a surprising notion to anyone anymore. Scotland and, to a recent extent, Japan, no longer have an iron rule over this popular category now that the world has started to discover fine alternatives coming from the rest of the globe. But what makes Seattle-based Westland Distillery stand out is how it embraces its nation’s archetypes to create whiskeys of an inimitable nature.
The US has made superb bourbons and craft beers for centuries, so why not borrow some of that know-how? Rather than use a standardised type of malted barley and let blending and cask maturation do the rest, Westland Distillery has chosen to focus on the raw materials first, using a mix of five types of malted barley that have been roasted to different levels for maximum flavour diversity – a trick brewers have been employing for centuries.
CAMPING TIPPLE
Enjoy a dram in the great American wilderness for the complete Westland experience.
The distillery also chooses Belgian brewer’s yeast over distiller’s yeast. While the former takes longer to ferment (which means lower yields), it helps to balance the malt components with notes of citrus and spice. And while the distillery does use seasoned casks, it does also display a significant inclination toward new American oak casks — a signature of bourbon.
What all of this translates into is a range of whiskeys made with no shortcuts or ties to tradition. Those interested in seeing what unhindered experimentation tastes like can try the three editions that have finally made their way to Singapore: the Westland American Oak, Westland Sherry Wood and Westland Peated.
Available at select stores and bars, including Manhattan, The Secret Mermaid, Bar Stories, Six Senses Maxwell and La Maison du Whisky.
TOP OF THE CLASS
Anti:Dote bar’s Bannie Kang is on a roll this year. After being crowned Diageo World Class Bartender of the Year 2019, Kang went on to bag the title of Bartender of the Year at the Bar Awards Singapore 2019.
VINTAGE SHOPPING
Penfolds needs little introduction – it is one of Australia’s most celebrated wineries, with their flagship Grange consistently raking in acclaim. This year’s release from the estate, The Penfolds Collection 2019, drops bottles from across four vintages between 2015 and 2018. With it, Penfolds releases the 2015 Grange, which “presents one of the more powerful expressions from the last decade,” shares Penfolds ambassador Sam Stephens. With 40 years on the countdown clock, the wine is clearly one for the cellars; although other labels – notably the 2016 St Henri and the 2017 BIN 789 RWT Barossa – would also take up to three decades to properly blossom.
SPIRITED ARCHITECTURE
Atlas’ recent win of the Best Bar In Asia title at the World’s 50 Best Bars awards should be reason enough to visit, but we believe its new drinks menu had something to do with its well-deserved victory. Twenty-three of its cocktails are new and were formulated to celebrate the Art Deco era – a fitting theme given the bar’s location in Parkview Square. Gin and champagne (Atlas’ specialities) are recurrent ingredients but nothing feels recycled. Start with the bestselling French 75 (you can choose the champagne) and work your way through the menu’s five chapters. We recommend ending with the creamy, bittersweet R.E.M, which is like a banoffee pie you never want to stop drinking. 600 North Bridge Rd, Parkview Square
COLLECT EM’ ALL
In just a span of three years, Macallan has launched its fifth Edition Series whisky. This time, it’s a “celebration of the Macallan’s natural colour”, with a beautifully-hued dram boasting a nose of caramel, fresh fruit, and oak spices – all the good stuff you’d look for in a Speyside Scotch. Even the bottle label is on theme, coming in a Barney-esque shade of purple picked by the colour specialists at Pantone. If that’s not enough reason to care, know this: The price of the Edition No. 1 of this series has risen tenfold among collectors since its release in 2016; with the following numbers – two through four – inflating anywhere between two to four times.
