Get to Know American Single Malt Whiskeys of the Pacific Northwest
Ever since the late Steve McCarthy, founder of Oregon-based Clear Creek Distillery, launched a single-malt revolution when he released the first American single-malt to market in 1998, the Pacific Northwest has continued to be a leader in this whiskey category.
ASMWC ratification announcement
At the 2016 American Crafts Spirits Association's annual convention, Steve Hawley and Matt Hofmann, formerly the Marketing Director and co-founder respectively for Seattle’s Westland Distillery, proposed a meetup of other American single malt distillers. Other Pacific Northwest distilleries present at this meeting included Copperworks Distilling Co. (Seattle, WA) and (Portland, OR).
From this meeting, the American Single Malt Whiskey Commission (ASMWC) was founded with the goal of establishing a standard of identity for “American Single Malt Whiskey," as well as serving as the face of this growing movement. Hawley assumed the role of President of the ASMWC with currently over 100 distilleries listed as members on the ASMW's website.
In addition to drafting the proposed definition, the ASMWC hosted meetings and calls with TTB to help give them context for why a designation was important —how it benefits producers and consumers. In addition, they have been the central body for organizing the support and industry consensus required by TTB to take action. Also, they played the critical role of educating not only the trade and consumers but also, importantly, the TTB itself on the finer point of the rulemaking and how certain stipulations needed to be addressed based on factors such as production realities, competitive forces, and consumer clarity.
The TTB Approval of the American Single Malt Category
On December 18, 2024, the TTB added a new type of whiskey for the first time in 52 years: American Single Malt Whiskey by including the new Standard of Identity to Part 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations with an effective date of January 19, 2025. This definition clearly defines the category and protects its producers and their products by stipulating that American Single Malt whiskeys adhere to the following production standards:
Mashed, distilled, and aged in the United States
Distilled entirely at one U.S. distillery
Distilled to a proof of 160 or less
Distilled from a fermented mash of 100% malted barley
Stored in oak barrels (used, uncharred new, or charred new) with a maximum capacity of 700L
Bottled at not less than 80 proof
This definition affords distillers considerable latitude in creating whiskeys that speak to their specific region and unique distilling style. Following is a curated list of Pacific Northwest distilleries producing American Single malts that meet this new definition.
McCarthys Oregon Single Malt
Made using 100% peated barley from Scotland and aged in 100% garryanna oak barrels (a tree particular to the Pacific Northwest), McCarthy's single malts embodied both Scottish and Pacific Northwest whiskey traditions. McCarthy's 3-year-old Oregon Single Malt continues to remain their flagship whiskey. Other McCarthy single malts have been released that celebrate the bounty of this region, including 6-year single malt whiskey finished in sherry casks.
Copperworks Distilling Co.
Seattle, WA
Copperworks whiskey lineup on display at Proof 2024 photo credit Becky Garrison
As a former brewer for Seattle-based Pike Brewing Company, co-founder Jason Parker crafts the wash for his whiskeys like a craft brewer would by brewing his wort with brewer's yeast instead of the traditional wash employed by most distillers. Their Maltsmith, a “Five Malt” recipe, is their signature spirit that's distilled from a brewer-style recipe that combines pale malt and caramelized malts and then matured in charred new American oak casks. Other series include Farmsmith, which celebrates the barley fields of Washington by exploring the impact of single variety, single farm, and single growing year barley in this ever-changing whiskey. Also, their Peatsmith series explores the unique flavors that barley malted with smoke from peat harvested from Washington’s Olympic Peninsula creating a uniquely American version of a peated whiskey.
Parker continues to pay it forward by supporting other distilleries such as Highside Distilling Bainbridge Island, WA) in developing their own unique American Single Malt whiskeys.
Talking Cedar Spirits
Rochester, WA
Singularity American Single Malt Whiskey
Talking Cedar, the first distillery in the United States built on tribal lands, expanded its new whiskey program under the direction of Matt Hofmann, Master Distiller and a pioneer of the American Single Malt category. Their Singularity is an American Single Malt Cask #250, aged 12 years in two-year seasoned American oak before being curated and bottled at Talking Cedar.
Westward Whiskey
Portland, OR
Westward Whiskey
Westward Whiskey’s motto is to “brew like a craft ale, distill like a single malt, and age like a Bourbon.” Westward creates its flagship whiskey from American Northwest two-row barley fermented with craft ale yeast that’s double distilled and matured in new, lightly charred, and heavily toasted America Oak barrels. From this flagship whiskey, they produce a cask-strength whiskey, along with a Pinot Noir cask, a Stout cask, and other special edition whiskeys.
Westland Distillery
Seattle, WA
Westland Whiskey's lineup of whiskeys photo credit Becky Garrison
Westland’s latest expression of their flagship whiskey represents the possibilities of single malt and captures the essence of its house style in one bottle. They continue to explore the unknown possibilities that can be pursued in crafting a single malt whiskey via their Outpost Range. In addition, their Garryana series ages whiskey in barrels made from a native species of oak called Quercus garryana that is indigenous to the Pacific Northwest. Also, their Colere and Solum series explores how barley and peat, respectively, inform the flavor of their whiskeys. Futhermore, Westland sources barrels from local wineries and engages in barrel exchange programs with breweries to provide unique barrel-finished whiskeys.