![]() This cask strength whisky is packed full of flavors. Paul John Peated Select Cask – A whisky from India, Paul John is one of my favorite whisky distilleries outside of Scotland. Meaty, leathery, fruity, rich, and very smoky indeed. Lagavulin 16 – Lagavulin is a rough bully. Laphroaig 10 is medicinal, salty, and heavily peated with a long graceful smoky finish that doesn’t go away for a long time. Laphroaig 10 – Islay distillery Laphroaig is known for absurdly smoky whiskies, and this is possibly the best known drink on this list (Donald Glover orders one in the Atlanta TV series). It’s honeyed with a hint of raisins and caramel. This is one of the easier ones to find, and worth trying. GlenDronach Peated – There’s been a couple distilleries in Speyside (an area with many distilleries not known for smoky whiskies) that have released a few peated releases. Light and springy, with a delightful oily balance. ![]() Caol Ila’s ‘standard’ whisky is wonderfully balanced on all fronts. I find it to be a gentler version of the Uigeadail, toffee and chocolate cake shine through with a smoke that doesn’t interfere with the sweetness.Ĭaol Ila 12 – The understated refined gentleman of this bunch. Smoky sherry matured whiskies are not too easy to find and it’s why I include it in this list. The Moine (pronounced moi-gne, like lasagne) is 100% matured in sherry casks. I love it, but it’s not for everyone.īunnahabhain Moine Oloroso – A limited edition from an Islay distillery that doesn’t normally do smoky whiskies, Bunnahabhain sometimes releases peated experiments, and this is one of them. Meat and smoke beat you up, though there’s a gentle citrus element that can be found amidst the chaos. It’s phenomenally overwhelming in every way. There’s also a cask strength version of this which is phenomenal, but start with the standard release first.īruichladdich Octomore 8.3 - Bruichladdich’s Octomore series consist of some of the peatiest whiskies in the world, and this particular bottle is possibly the peatiest whisky ever released. It’s incredibly malty and doughy, perfect with that light smoky nudge at the end. 99% of the time, this number measures the ‘peat’ level of the barley before it is processed, and many of these smoky phenols are subsequently lost to varying degrees in all stages of whiskymaking and maturation.Īrran Machrie Moor – A whisky from one of the few independent distilleries out there, Arran’s Machrie Moor is a great example of how a very light peating level can complement the rest of the whisky. It’s far from a perfect measurement, however. Phenols in whisky are measured by PPM (Phenolic Parts per Million), and it’s the first number any whisky geek wants to know when they drink a smoky whisky, under the assumption that the higher the number means a peatier malt. When peat is burned in a kiln for making whisky, it releases smoke loaded with phenolic compounds that end up in the barley, which eventually becomes the liquid in your glass. Peat is plant matter (mostly mosses) that has decomposed for thousands of years in an environment with no oxygen. Peated aromas (created by a group of compounds called phenols) come from the malted barley used for whisky when it is dried using peat smoke. In 2022 book four of the five Ian Hunter Story series was released.So in the middle of this new peat craze, let’s start with a quick geeky primer on peat in whisky before moving on to some recommendations. Interestingly a great series of bottling’s named The Ian Hunter Story have been introduced which pay homage to the last of the Johnston family to own Laphroaig. ![]() Being so close to the coast the the peat used to smoke the barley has a higher moss content which adds to its distinctive character. The whisky is know for its smoky style which is individual and unique. The distillery’s production capacity is 3.3 million litres of alcohol and with 34 mashes per week it has been running at full capacity for a number of years. Laphroaig is now owned by Beam Suntory and is the largest seller of single malt whisky on Islay. Back in the early days word spread of this particularly delicious whisky with it’s soft, peaty water source and the farmers quickly realised distilling was a more lucrative proposition. ![]() Named after its position ‘broad hollow by the bay’ the distillery remained in family ownership for over a hundred and thirty years. Laphroaig is located on Islay’s south coast and was founded by farmers Donald and Alexander Johnston in 1815.
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