Westland Distillery x Filson
Coldfoot Whiskey
American Single Malt | 100% Barley | 100proof
What do you get when you combine a heritage name in men’s wear and a craft whiskey distillery? Coldfoot Whiskey. I could not have been more pleased to have been asked to be part of the tasting and reviewing process for the collaboration whiskey between Westland Distillery and Filson Co. not just because I love rugged men’s wear and good whiskey, but because I get to support two brands from my hometown of Seattle, Wa.
Westland Distillery has been pioneering the American Single Malt movement for the past 10 years and Filson has been leading the charge on outfitting people for their next great adventure since the 1800s. So it makes sense to marry rugged clothing and whiskey. I was curious how the name “Coldfoot” was arrived at. There had to be some significance to the name. Here’s what I learned:
“In the late 1800s, the fever of the Klondike Gold Rush consumed the world and captured the imaginations of a generation. Seattle served as the starting and ending point for a harrowing journey north and back—an expedition that gave rise not only to enduring outdoor outfitter brands like Filson, but also an intrinsic pioneering mentality that still defines the Pacific Northwest to this day. The vast majority of prospectors took the well-trodden path to the boomtown of Dawson, Alaska. But not all followed the herd. A small group of ambitious prospectors followed a different path that headed even further north, into even more rugged territory to a camp called Coldfoot. Of the 2,000 “green hands” that set out on the stampede, only 200 stuck it out to stake a claim there. (The rest got “cold feet.”)”
Coldfoot Alaska is roughly 2 day journey and 2400miles northwest of Seattle, Wa by car. I’m sure the prospectors who ventured into this part of the state had to have nerves of steel and an unwavering commitment to find gold and make a new life; no doubt whiskey kept them going and added levity to what may have been a dreary situation.
Now, on to the whiskey
Name: Coldfoot Whiskey
Distiller: Collaboration whiskey between Westland Distillery and Filson Co.
Type of Whiskey: American Single Malt (100% Barley)
Proof: 50%/100 proof
Color: Light gold
Nose: barley, smoke, peat, oak and dried cherries
Taste: dried fruit, coffee, vanilla, peat
What was most interesting in tasting this whiskey is that it has a high proof (100) but it didn’t have the heat you might find with high proof bourbons. It went down very smooth on my first sip and didn’t linger. On the second sip, I chewed it a bit and the proof kicked in and the flavor of peat and vanilla hung stood out on the backend. Needless to say, Coldfoot Whiskey has my vote and it would be a bottle that I would keep on hand regularly. It can easily be a daily drinker and something to offer friends and family at gatherings.
Well that’s it for now, I appreciate you reading. Feel free to checkout my photography on Instagram @denim_and_whiskey
Till next time
-Christian