Rosemary | Sage | Jasmine | Tobacco

Grass | Vegetal | Soil | Mushroom | Wet rock | Black tea

Musty | Wet oak | Burnt marshmallow | Light smoke | Lingering soft peat

Fully grasping terroir in whiskey-making is not an easy task. Often distilleries use it to describe their farm-to-bottle product, but Westland Distillery takes it far beyond that. As they state on their website, “Solum directly connects us to the primordial essence of the Pacific Northwest through a rediscovery of the oldest style of whiskey. Unearthing eons of flavor imparted by layers of flora unique to this place, we seek to experience the very essence of time through terroir.” That may sound like an overly flowery description, that is, until you taste Solum Edition 2.

This American single malt opens unlike any whiskey I’ve ever experienced before. Saying this is herbal-influenced would be a gross understatement, as rosemary, sage, and jasmine loom larger than life. The palate tastes literally surface-level earthy, with unusual vegetal notes of grass, soil, mushroom, and wet rock. The finish is more below-ground earthy with notes of musty dankness, wet rotting oak, mellow peat, and smoke.

Yes, this all sounds strange and tastes even stranger, but there is an authenticness and a connection to the earth that makes this whiskey so fascinating. I’m not sure how many would find this whiskey appealing based on taste alone, but how this was made will likely pique anyone’s curiosity. Part of its taste is the result of the whiskey’s peat being extracted from a bog located two hours south of Seattle. Another part is that 100% of the barley is made in Washington State. The result is an American single malt that tastes as if someone was able to bottle the Pacific Northwest. In a way, Westland did, and isn’t that exactly what terroir sets out to accomplish? This will likely end up being one of the most challenging pour from an American whiskey this year, and while they seem to have accomplished their goal with this release, the sip itself will be quite divisive.

A total of 5,212 bottles were produced for this release.