Westland Garryana 11 is a 10-year-old single malt at cask strength

Seattle's Westland Distillery is releasing its 11th annual Garryana American single malt on November 11, a 10-year-old that returns to cask strength and is regarded as one of the best examples of American single malt. It is bottled at 113.6 proof, or 56.8 percent alcohol by volume.

That strength is slightly above the 112.4 proof of the inaugural edition. Most releases between the two were bottled at 100 proof. The new whiskey is the second 10-year-old in the series, and 4,200 bottles are being offered this year.

The suggested retail price is $150, and sales begin at the annual Release Day held at the distillery on November 11.

Westland was founded in 2010 and has spent 16 years making single malt in the Pacific Northwest. The distillery uses many barley varietals and cask types to distill and age its whiskey, but the Garryana series is built around casks made from Quercus garryana oak.

That oak is native to the Pacific Northwest. Much like Japanese mizunara, garryana has an irregular grain that can be tough to work with, and distillers prize it for the unusual flavors it gives to whiskey matured in it.

As in past releases, only a portion of this whiskey was aged in garryana, because the maturation produces such intense flavors. For this bottling, garryana wood accounts for 40 percent of the barrels used, a measured share rather than the bulk of the blend.

The larger half, 50 percent of the barrels, were ex-beer casks from local Seattle breweries. The remaining 10 percent were ex-Cognac casks. According to the distillery team, that makes this the most beer-cask-forward Garryana to date.

Master blender Shane Armstrong said in a statement: "This is the most pronounced iteration of beer casks in Garryana yet, creating a new conversation between the spirit structure and its supporting cast of barrels."

He described the effect as "a brighter expression of herbs and fruit before descending into more spice-driven realms. In simple terms, Garryana 11 embraces the transition from light to dark." The comparison he offers is with Westland's Beer Cask Finish releases, whose threads he says a taster will recognize.

What the whiskey tastes like

The tasting notes follow that light-to-dark arc. On the first sip, the whiskey leads with chocolate, dark-roasted espresso beans and orange zest, then moves into cinnamon, black pepper, brown sugar, cardamom and caramel.

At 56.8 percent ABV the whiskey is strong but not overpowering, with a bit of heat on the back of the palate and in the finish.

The heist behind last year's release

Westland made the news last year when nearly a million dollars' worth of its whiskey was stolen in a truck heist. The haul included a large number of bottles of the annual Garryana, the 10-year-old that was the oldest the distillery had made.

The crime remains unsolved. Westland has moved on regardless, and this 11th release is its answer: another 10-year-old, a heavier beer-cask influence than any prior edition, and a higher proof than the 100 used for most of the series.

Another American bottle with a long age statement crossed our desk recently: we reported on Knob Creek bringing back its 21-year-old bourbon, its oldest yet, at $250. Garryana arrives at $150 with a 10-year statement and a strength above 56 percent.

The next date is fixed: Release Day at the distillery on November 11. Westland has said 4,200 bottles are being released this year, and it has not said how they will be divided between the distillery and other sellers.