24.02.2025
Smoky whisky: Peat and its potential!
Peated whiskies with a smoky flavour in front of the scenery of the Scottish landscape.
What is smoky or peated whisky and how does a whisky become peaty?
The first way to recognise a peaty whisky is by its taste. The important thing here is that peated is the type of whisky and smoky describes the flavour. If the dram in the glass is reminiscent of a campfire or a mixture of earthy, dry, spicy and charred nuances, then it is most likely a peated whisky. This is often strictly attributed to the Scottish islands and the Isle of Islay which is also a acknowledged whisky region. The best-known peated whiskies come from this island and around 70% of the island's surface area is peat. However, the raw material can also be found on the mainland and the other Scottish islands and smoky whisky is also produced outside of Scotland.
The following list of recommendations also includes a Japanese single malt whisky with a smoky character. The distillery does not provide any further information on how the whisky gets its smoky flavour, but it is known that the copper stills in which this whisky is distilled are heated with coal fire, which is said to have an effect on the flavour. The list also includes a whisky from the Scottish whisky region of Speyside. Meikle Tòir, a brand of the GlenAllachie distillery, uses peat from the Highlands, located on the north-east coast near St. Fergus.
However, not all peat is the same. This is because mainland peat offers a different flavour to island peat, as it is created from the decomposition of trees and not from herbs, moss and seaweed. This results in a sweeter and softer smoke, while island peat has a maritime and spicy flavour.
According to traditional craftsmanship, the production of peated whisky begins with the cutting of peat from the (local) bogs. These are basically organic sediments that have been growing steadily for many years. It is said that the production of peated whiskies is more or less due to accident. Peat was burnt in ovens for heating, among other things, as it was cheaper than wood or coal. It was also used in whisky production and inevitably influenced the flavour of the fine spirit. For whisky production, the barley is germinated with water in the malting process until it has a moisture content of around 45% and then dried on the malting floors to stop germination until the malt has a residual moisture content of around 4.5% and can therefore be stored without hesitation before it is ground into grist for further processing. This is done by kilning over a heat source such as a wood or coal fire.
Peat malt is produced by kilning the barley over peat smoke. The peat that is burnt in the kilns releases a group of compounds known as phenols. These are found in the smoke rising through the perforations in the kiln floors, which is intended to dry the green malt. The longer the malt remains in the kiln and is exposed to the peat fire, the higher the phenol content. This is recorded in PPM (parts per million) and is the unit in which peat strength is measured.
The Kilchoman and Laphroaig distilleries on the Scottish island of Islay, known for its peated whisky, are among the few that still produce their own peated malt, i.e. have their own in-house floor malting, as most distilleries buy their already malted barley or even grist from larger maltings. There are currently only 7 distilleries in Scotland that have malting floors. Thamdu, for example, has a Saladin box, which has replaced malting floors at some point in whisky history, and Diageo's distilleries use drum maltings. The Kilchoman Distillery peats its malt for an average of 10 hours, as a result of which the whisky usually reaches a phenol content of 20 ppm.
Top 10 Smoky Whiskies
Lagavulin 16 Years Old; 43% Vol.
This Lagavulin from the scottish Isle of Islay was matured in a combination of two types of casks, american ex-Bourbon barrels and european casks that previously held spanish Sherry. The wood of those casks give creamy vanilla and nutty, spicy, fruity flavours to the whisky. These intense aromas are supported by the wonderful peat with a strength of 35 ppm.
Tasting notes:
Nosing: Barbecue aroma, citrus fruits, maritime flavours, seaweed, iodine, plums and grapes, heather honey, fresh herbs, roasted aromas.
Taste: Somewhat oily and salty. Intense peat, earthy, dark fruits, sultanas, pears pleasant spice, BBQ, roasted nuts, orange zest, spicy oak, black pepper.
Finish: Medium length with sweetish fruits and milk chocolate, fresh tobacco leaves, woody note.
Bowmore 15 Years Old Oloroso-Sherry Cask; 43% Vol.
This Islay whisky is considered less heavily smoky. With Bowmore, the smoke is always a side effect and ensures a perfect balance of all flavor nuances and harmony. At a smooth 25 ppm and matured initially in ex-bourbon barrels and finished in Spanish Oloroso sherry casks, this island whisky offers an exciting palette.
Tasting notes:
Nosing: Pleasant maritime peat smoke, red fruits, soft dates, dark chocolate, toffee, citrus notes, vanilla and spice.
Taste: Full-bodied and smooth, vanilla, nuts, dried fruit, cinnamon, maple syrup, chocolate, oak, grapefruit, roasted flavours, clove pepper.
Finish: Long lasting. Red berries, spicy but soft smoke, woody note, salted caramel, candied apples.
Laphroaig Quarter Cask; 48% Vol.
Laphroaig is one of the more peat-intensive whiskies. At a full 45 ppm, this whisky is a wonderful example of a maritime symphony full of creamy, sweet aromas thanks to its maturation in ex-bourbon barrels and small American oak quarter casks with a maximum volume of 50 liters. The smaller the casks, the more flavoring substances the spirit can extract from the wood.
Tasting notes:
Nosing: Intense peat smoke, iodine, slightly medicinal undertone, vanilla, pear, lemon, caramelised banana, demerara sugar, creamy malt.
Taste: Strong but velvety. Salted caramel, apricots, butter biscuits, heather, honey, liquorice, dark roasted espresso beans, earthy, spicy oak, fine ginger spiciness, some black pepper.
Finish: Long lasting. Lingering smoke with sweet nuances. Fresh herbs, mint, sea salt.
Talisker Port Ruighe; 45,8% Vol.
This single malt Scotch whisky comes from the Isle of Skye, an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. It bears the name “Port Ruighe” in reference to the capital (Portree) and its old Gaelic pronunciation as well as the cask maturation. This is because this Talisker was refined with a finish in Portuguese port wine casks. Lightly peated malt was used in the production process, giving the whisky a residual phenol content of 25 ppm.
Tasting notes:
Nosing: Subtle campfire flavour, maritime notes, heather honey, plums, raspberries, rock sugar, light oak spice.
Taste: Smoky but soft and slightly oily. Red berries, sea salt, blackcurrant jam, honey and soft dates, cinnamon, clove pepper, salted caramel, roasted nuts, delicate eucalyptus note.
Finish: Medium length, somewhat peaty but velvety. Honey, garden herbs, preserved fruit, baking spices, spicy oak, some pepper.
Nikka Yoichi Single Malt; 45% Vol.
This Japanese single malt whisky has a delicate smoky note, although it is not entirely clear where this comes from. The smoky aromas are probably enhanced by firing the stills over coal. This results in a very soft 18-20 ppm, which actually only provides a nice background to the taste and balances the flavor composition. Ex-bourbon barrels, new oak casks and sherry casks were chosen for the maturation and thus other flavor influences. This ensures a caramelly, creamy-soft and fruity-spicy range of aromas.
Tasting notes:
Nosing: Maritime smoke, floral bouquet, citrus fruits, hazelnuts, creamy cream, melon, vanilla.
Taste: Somewhat more intense peat, gives a slightly dry mouthfeel. Candied ginger, sweet malt, garden herbs, lemon zest, clove pepper, biscuit dough.
Finish: Short and rather dry. Pleasantly spicy peat smoke, baking spices and orange-ginger biscuits.
Highland Park Triskelion; 45,1% Vol.
This single malt Scotch form the Orkney islands in the north over the Scottish mainland, stands for wisdom, tradition and craftsmanship. A collaboration of three whisky makers has brought together over 100 years of whisky making knowledge and experience to explore the influence of wood and cask maturation on the distillery's whisky. John Ramsay, Whisky Maker Emeritus, who was Master Whisky Maker at Highland Park and retired in 2009, his former assistant and current Master Whisky Maker at the distillery, Gordon Motion and Master Whisky Maker Max McFarlane, who also previously worked at Highland Park and now works for Ardgowan Distillery. They opted for maturation in three types of cask: Spanish first-fill sherry butts, American first-fill sherry seasoned casks and American ex-bourbon barrels and hogsheads with a small number of refill casks to give the taste of the whisky a softer flavor component, which is accompanied by a warming smokiness at around 30 ppm.
Tasting notes:
Nosing: Campfire smoke, mirabelle plums, citrus fruits, plums, heather honey, smoked spices.
Taste: Peaty, slightly buttery, ripe oranges, sweet dried fruit with sultanas and apricots, butter biscuits, coriander, gentle clove, typical nutty sherry notes.
Finish: Long-lasting and soft with a fine, bitter undertone. Light smoke lingers, creamy notes with crème brûlée and spicy honey.
Kilchoman Sanaig; 46% Vol.
This Kilchoman whisky from the Isle of Islay was matured in a combination of 30% ex-bourbon barrels and 70% Oloroso sherry casks. The malt used to make the whisky was heavily peated in the in-house malting floors, so that the whisky ends up with a peatiness of around 50 ppm. Together with the caramel-heavy and Christmas spicy-sweet nuances, this single malt offers an exciting overall package.
Tasting notes:
Nosing: Intense peat, salty sea breeze, sweet malt, dark fruits, cinnamon, peaches, lime, marzipan, candied ginger.
Taste: Smoked flavour, sultanas, salted caramel, stewed fruit, prunes, roasted nuts, almonds, maple syrup, oat biscuits, dark chocolate, clove pepper, oak spice.
Finish: Long-lasting and maritime smoke. Stroopwaffle biscuits, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, spicy oak, demerara sugar, black pepper.
Port Charlotte 10 Years Old Heavily Peated; 50% Vol.
Port Charlotte whiskies are the smoky siblings of the Bruichladdich distillery on the Isle of Islay and is THE Islay single malt. With a wonderfully peaty 40 ppm, it combines smoky power, maritime coastal notes, a heap of vanilla and coconut and fruity spice. This is ensured by the cask maturation in 65% first-fill bourbon casks, 10% second-fill bourbon casks and 25% second-fill French wine casks. A little tip: this island whisky can easily withstand a few drops of water. My recommendation: 3 drops with a pipette to open up the aroma palette.
Tasting notes:
Nosing: Subtle peat smoke, salty breeze, fudge, vanilla cream, clementines, lime zest, lemon meringue, ginger biscuits, heather, nutmeg, cloves.
Taste: Sweetish and strong peat. Oak spice, apricots, iodine, toasted grated coconut, almonds, light fruits, sweet malt, vanilla cream, heather honey, citrus fruits, salted caramel, clove pepper.
Finish: Long lasting. Peat smoke, nougat caramel, creamy malt, baked banana, apples, apricots, fine peppery notes, seaweed.
Ardbeg Uigeadail; 54,2% Vol.
Uigeadail comes from the Gaelic and means ‘dark, mysterious place’. Named after the distillery's water source, this whisky is the perfect combination of sweetness, spiciness and deep smokiness. The peaty water of Loch Uigeadail adds its smoky notes to this whisky, while maturation in ex-bourbon and sherry casks provides rich, warm flavours - perfect for dramatic, stormy nights. The real secret behind Uigeadail's success, however, is a unique vatting method that combines the deep, smoky notes at around 50-55 ppm with the creamy-vanilla notes of the ex-bourbon American oak casks with the lush, raisin-like character of the ex-Oloroso sherry casks.
Tasting notes:
Nosing: Deep smoky aroma, Christmas stollen, walnuts, violets, sea air, cedar wood, toffee, chocolate-covered sultanas, flambéed pear and caramelised banana.
Taste: Full-bodied and heavy. Intense peaty notes with sweet spice cake, fir honey, salted caramel, dried fruit, cinnamon and cloves, nutmeg, ripe oranges, dark mocha, candied ginger, roasted nuts, creamy malt, clove pepper.
Finish: Long-lasting with aromatic peat and creamy sweetness. Salted peanut butter, black tea, honey, fresh leather, a fine menthol note and some pepper.
Meikle Tòir 5yo The Sherry One ; 48% Vol.
This single malt Scotch whisky is a true Highlander, the smoky appearance is deceptive. As a peated version of the fruity-sweet GlenAllachie whisky, the Meikle Tòir is made from Highland peat from the north-east coast near St. Fergus. This peat is sweeter in taste and softer. Due to the remaining phenol content of 35 ppm, however, it is particularly convincing due to the aromatic underpinning provided by maturation in a combination of first-fill bourbon barrels, Spanish Pedro Ximénez (PX) sherry casks and Oloroso sherry puncheons. A spectacle of aromas!
Tasting notes:
Nosing: Imposing peat smoke, dark berries, butterscotch, acacia honey, orange zest, plum jam, clementines, cedar wood.
Taste: Warming peat with dark chocolate, sultanas, stewed dark fruits, forest honey, vanilla, dark roasted espresso beans, figs and fine oak spice and cayenne pepper.
Finish: Long-lasting and slightly dry with fine, spicy smoke. Lingering notes of preserved fruit and sweet caramel to finish.
About the author
Daniela Rek
Whisky enthusiast and nerd. In the whisky game since 2016 and still diligent about exceptional drams. Continuously uncovering the depths of tasting notes of each whisky, bringing whisky closer to anyone interested and informing about whisky topics is a hobby and a way of life.
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