By Richard Thomas
Rating: C+
(Credit: Copperworks Distilling)
Seattle’s Copperworks Distilling has embarked on what is a familiar and fast-expanding focus in whiskey-making, namely mashing with estate-grown grain. The first distillery to make a major splash with this technique was Islay’s Bruichladdich, but the notion of releasing batches made using grain from distinct farms has spread to Ireland and the United States.
This year saw the release of the second batch of Farmsmith, this time Genie Pale Malt from Coulee Hite farms in Reardan, Washington. The barley was grown in the arid country east of Spokane (where it was malted), and that 2020, Pandemic-era consignment of Coulee Hite-grown barley was the only time they’ve ever been able to draw on that source. They filled four barrels with new make, aged it for five years, and that became Farmsmith batch two. Farmsmith 2026 is bottled at 100 proof.
The Whiskey
I found the color of the whiskey in my Glencairn took on a dulled, light amber tone. The nose is light and quite muted, leading with a sweet aspect of honey and caramel, with a little oak behind it. The flavor moved along similar, more expanded lines, losing its faintness. Caramel, honey and a dose of cookie spices, with extra ginger, make up the main current. Add a sliver of dry oak, and that’s it. The finish is carried by a non-descript, simple syrup sweetness in the main, with traces of wood and cookie spice.
The Price
This one is marked at $70, and note that it’s in a 70cl bottle. The choice of a Euro-size whiskey bottle is an odd one for a small American distillery, and the fact that it is a whole shot pour smaller ought to be borne in mind when deciding to buy one.
