Released today: Copperworks Peated Malt Whiskey. And it’s not made from just any old peated malt — it’s made from locally grown barley that was malted with peat from a bog in Washington State!

The malt, produced by Skagit Valley Malting, is the first peated malted barley produced entirely from ingredients sourced in Washington State.

This is our first release of Peated Single Malt Whiskey. The smoky flavors in this release are more subtle than what you might find in Scotch malt whiskey as we worked to balance flavors of the Washington peat with the flavors of the Washington-grown barley and new Oak American casks.

We’re proud to release a whiskey that features the unique flavors from our home state of Washington.

This release comes from eight casks of whiskey that were brewed and distilled from 100% of the Copeland variety of barley grown in Washington’s Skagit Valley and smoked during the malting process with Washington peat. Each cask of whiskey was matured for just over four years in lightly charred (char #1) new American Oak casks. As with all our whiskey releases, we published detailed Production Specifications of the release.

It started long ago in a lakebed in the Pacific Northwest

Peat is decomposed organic plant matter that has been compressed in the ground for thousands of years. Peat is burned during the malt drying process and imparts a distinctive smoky flavor to the barley. The peat used by Skagit Valley Malting was harvested from a lakebed on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington. It’s the only peat bog we’re aware of in the state that can be commercially harvested.

The flavors of Washington-sourced peat are different than Scottish peat because the decomposed plant matter in Washington is different than plant matter in Scotland. Using Washington-sourced peat gives Copperworks whiskey flavors of roasted almonds, toast, hickory, and a slightly briny earthiness — different than the notes of iodine, creosote, and seaweed that are often found in Scottish peated single malt.

Copperworks Peated Single Malt Whiskey is currently available only directly from Copperworks in our online store and at the distillery.

Tasting Notes: This release offers aromas of campfire, roasted tomatoes, and exotic spices. Flavor notes of roasted almonds, toast, and orange zest lead to a long finish of hickory, cedar, and wet earth, ending with pleasant briny and wood notes.

Copperworks Peated Malt Whiskey, Release 034
1,934 bottles (750ml) produced; 52% ABV
$76.49 (not including taxes or shipping)
Buy now.