Westland Whiskey, a distiller based in Seattle, made history this month when one of its whiskies was ranked third in the world.

This recognition comes from the Whiskey Advocate, placing Westland’s limited-release Garryana Edition 8 in the third spot for its “Most Exciting Whiskies of 2023”. This is noteworthy as it is the first time an American single malt has breached the top three of this list.

The rankings compiled by Whiskey Advocate reviewers are based on blind taste tests, with no prior knowledge of the whiskey’s origin, age, or producer.

The following review is provided by the Whiskey Advocate regarding Westland’s eighth Garryana release: “This is Seattle, Washington-based Westland’s eighth Garryana release, and it just keeps getting better. The influence of oak is beautifully done, bringing out notes of charcoal grill, Krispy Kreme doughnut, Honey Nut Cheerios, and a slight touch of salinity on the nose.”

Garryana 8 trails only a pair of Scottish offerings in the ranking, beating out a slew of other well-known brands, including Maker’s Mark, Dewars, Glenmorangie, Glenfiddich, and Crown Royal among others.

“From day one, we set out to tell the story of place, and our Garryana whiskeys served as a profound milestone in stepping beyond what our industry thought was possible,” Westland Whiskey said on Facebook. “Thank you to all of our friends and supporters who have championed Westland along the way.”

Westland first set up shop as a small local distiller in Seattle’s SoDo neighborhood in 2010. Since then, they’ve expanded to offer their whiskies at bars and stores across the globe.