Westland Distillery Co-Founder and Master Distiller, Matt Hofmann, announced today via Instagram that he will depart the distillery at the end of June 2023. Though details are sparse currently, we are sure that Hofmann will move onto his next adventure with the same passion he has shown for Westland Distillery and American Single Malt Whiskey. Previously a guest on Bourbon Lens Episode 203, Hofmann has been instrumental in the growth and recognition of American Single Malt Whiskey in the whiskey landscape.
To all my family, friends, and the whiskey fans I’ve met around the world, I’ve got some news! I will be leaving Westland Distillery at the end of June. This may come as a shock to many of you, but l’ve been thinking about this decision for a while and feel like now is the right moment. Having launched our two newest whiskeys, Colere and Solum, as well as (hopefully!) getting the ASMW category to the cusp of ratification with the TTB, many of my biggest creative goals with Westland have been realized. I’ve been so fortunate to see a dream come true and made real by so many amazing people both within Westland and those supporters on the outside. But Westland has defined my entire adult life. That same sense of curiosity that led me down the path of “what if?” in single malt whiskey is the same one now telling me to explore again. I don’t yet know what the future has in store for me, but that’s the fun part! I’ll still be here for the next couple of months, working to ensure a smooth transition with the rest of the team. They’re the ones bringing this amazing brand to life and creating our fantastic whiskey today. But while I’m not gone just yet, I just wanted to take this moment to say: THANK YOU!
Matt Hofmann via Instagram
About Matt Hofmann:
Matt is the Co-Founder and Master Distiller of Westland Distillery in Seattle, Washington. Matt has passion for exceptional whiskies that reflect the region where they were made. He has received a General Certificate in Distilling from the Institute of Brewing and Distilling in London, as well as a Postgraduate Diploma in Distilling from the International Center for Brewing and Distilling at Heriot-Watt University. Matt’s work in American single malt whiskey has been praised by business and trade organizations alike, including being named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2016 and receiving the 2018 American Master Distiller of the Year award by Whisky Magazine.
About Westland Distillery
Founded in 2010 and acquired by Remy-Cointreau in 2017, Seattle’s Westland Distillery brings a new and uniquely American voice to the world of single malt whiskey by exploring possibilities that have been ignored for generations. Along the way, Westland has been recognized as the country’s leading producer of American Single Malt Whiskey and founded the formal establishment of the emerging American Single Malt Whiskey category by starting the American Single Malt Whiskey Commission. While the distillery uses the same basic ingredients and processes used for centuries by traditional Old World single malt producers, it does not simply seek to replicate the results of its Scottish predecessors. Instead, Westland works to create whiskeys that reflect the distinct qualities of its time, place, and culture in the Pacific Northwest. All of Westland’s expressions are distilled at the Seattle distillery from 100% malted barley and fermented with a unique Belgian Saison brewer’s yeast before maturing in one of a variety of cask types, including new American oak, ex-Bourbon, ex-Sherry, and Garry Oak, to name a few.
