Peeled apple | Cinnamon stick | Turnover dough | Light oak | Light summer fruits

Summer fruits | Buttered dough | Cinnamon spice | Apple pie filling | Bright red maraschino cocktail cherry | Oak

Baking spices | Vanilla powder | Cinnamon dough | Faint cherry syrup | Oak | White peppercorn spice | Lingering spice

Located on the waterfront in downtown Seattle, Washington, Copperworks was founded by co-owners/distillers Jason Parker and Micah Nutt. The two were experienced craft beer makers who, the company states, “built Copperworks to explore the possibilities of malted barley by distilling high-quality craft beer (without hops) into fine spirits.” Farmsmith is part of the company’s core lineup, 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. While this expression will always be part of our lineup, each release will feature a different barley varietal, farm, and/or growing year.” This batch of Farmsmith consists of whiskey distilled from 2020 Genie pale malt that was grown at Coulee Hilt in Reardan, Washington, and malted by LINC Malt in Spokane.  

In order to create this release of Farmsmith, Copperworks used a very specific grain that fans of terroir will be fascinated by, while more casual consumers most likely won’t care as much. "We've only been able to source Genie Pale Malt from this hot dry zone once in our history," according to Copperworks President and Co-Founder Jason Parker in the company’s press release. "That makes this release genuinely rare, not just limited, but unrepeatable. The terroir from Reardan's growing conditions in 2020 is captured in these bottles."

The whiskey opens with heavy scents of peeled apple that rest on top of cinnamon stick and turnover dough. A light oak scent is present, which carries over into the midpoint as additional apple and dough notes come alive. It’s fruit-forward, with summer fruits and a bright red maraschino cocktail cherry note that joins the fray. Ending with a swirl of sweetness and spice, the whiskey morphs into a lingering spice note. Overall, this is a pleasing whiskey from Copperworks, and while the grain varietal has an impact, it also highlights the progression the company has made over the years with their Farmsmith line.