What many of us thought would be written as a metal song has turned out to be more of a ballad, and that’s… kind of a beautiful thing. As a transplant to WA, there have been rumblings of an American Peated Single Malt created by Westland Distillery for some time. I remember moving here in 2018 and even then, the right questions posed during a distillery tour would unearth (pun intended) where they’d set their sites. It wasn't long after, with the announcement of their Outpost Range, they solidified it and gave it a name: Solum. Finally! For the first time in history, an all American Peated Single Malt to rival the likes of Laphroaig, Caol Ila, Bruichladdich and so many others! As a huge fan of boisterous peated whisk(e)ys, I waited eagerly, salivating at the prospect. But truth be told, that’s not what we got. As a Westland fan, admittedly I was a bit disappointed upon finally nosing this dram. It wasn’t near the ppm of any potent Scotch. I thought I’d be chewing on saddle leather, pipe tobacco, clay, and earthy tones -- yet here was Solum, seemingly subdued, showcasing a bouquet of floral and botanical notes. I didn't get it. I had the massive privilege of attending the Solum Symposium, an event hosted by Westland Distillery before the release of Solum. There, I, and many others learned that American peat isn't the same beast as Scottish peat. Unlike the dried up peat bogs many use for their whisk(e)ys, Westland chose to use peat from wet, inland bogs, trying their best to protect this resource and maintain crucial ecosystems within their chosen location. This simply isn't Scottish peat. The fact is, to really appreciate Solum, you have to shift your perspective. The team at Westland set out to honor terroir, quite literally the WA soil (peat) from which this whiskey is derived. Within that, they’ve achieved something elegant and elevated. It’s not a whiskey kissed by the sea or beaten by coastal winds. It not a whiskey that tastes like “you just kissed a mermaid that ate barbecue.” (Laphroaig, your marketing really is the best) WA peat is altogether different. On first nose, I found floral tones, vanilla, creamy citrus, raspberry, pie crust, and cantaloupe. It's bright and eager, with peat subtly playing in the background. Upon letting the dram breathe a bit, there were some dried red fruits, cocoa powder, wood, a hint of smoke, and some malty notes true to the character of most Westland offerings. Adding a drop opened things up a bit on the nose, with strawberry short cake, and confectionary sugar. This whiskey is balanced. I found the mouth to be where the smoke is most prevalent. It's medium to full-bodied, offering wood-fired pizza crust with the perfect char, oak, ripe melon, pepper, a little baking spice, alongside a touch of clove and dark cherry. There's a nice syrupiness to it. The drop I added, in my opinion, took away too much of the bite. I liked it better before. The finish is long lasting and dry with a salty after tone. At 100 proof, Solum offered the perfect amount of warmth, slowly moving up from my chest onto the back of my tongue. This was less a linger and more a slow dance at the end of each sip. I was consistently longing for more. So what do we have? I my mind, what we have is something I want on my shelve at all times. It's rich and brilliant, calculated and refined. It has the genuine signature of Westland, and reflects their desire to push boundaries and explore the craft. Solum casts a new light on peat, forges a new path, and is beautifully poetic. Instead of taking the shape of machete, it's a thoughtfully crafted katana. Rather than comparing it to other peated drams, Solum deserves to be appreciated under its own weight, all twenty-thousand decaying years of it.