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Ten Best Whiskies For Peat Lovers
Lagavulin 16 Year Old
Where else but to start but Islay. Lagavulin 16 Year Old is revered around the world, with its much-loved intense character coming from their own richly peaty water supply; the heavily peated barley; the unusually long fermentation - up to 75 hours; and the slowest distillation of any Islay malt. The nose opens with punchy Islay smoke, with hints of iodine, sweet spice and vanilla, leading to a rich palate bursting with malt, dried fruit, oak and earthy peat.
Highland Park 15 Year Old
Highland Park use Orkney peat which is rich in heather, resulting in a wonderfully fragrant and floral whisky with waves of smoke. This 15-year-old expression has been aged in sherry seasoned European oak casks and sherry seasoned American oak casks, with a few refill casks to smooth things over. There is a strong note of freshly baked sponge cake on the palate, alongside cinnamon, citrus, and of course, peat smoke.
Ardbeg Corryvreckan
Corryvreckan takes its name from the famous whirlpool that lies to the north of Islay. Swirling aromas and torrents of deep, peaty, peppery taste lurk beneath the surface of this beautifully balanced Ardbeg dram. Like the whirlpool itself, Corryvreckan is not for the faint-hearted! Expect notes of black pepper, strong espresso and rich fruits, alongside the intense peat.
Ledaig 18 Year Old
Hailing from Tobermory distillery, Ledaig is made with the intention to hark back to the whiskies that would have been produced around the time of the distillery's founding - when it was called Ledaig. It is produced for 6 months out of the year, and is a heavily peated expression in the Hebridean style. Expect rich and smoky sherry notes, which are balanced with seaweed and light creosote in the mouth, before a long smoky finish with liquorice and sea spray notes.
Kilchoman Sanaig
Named after the rugged stretch of coast that lays north of the distillery, Sanaigmore is a coastal point located on the north of Islay that is often battered with the high winds and crushing waves of the Atlantic. The whisky itself is matured in both sherry casks and bourbon cask but takes most of its influence from the sherry cask that it ages in. This gives the whisky a deep rich fruit cake flavour that balances incredibly with the pure Islay peated smoke of the Kilchoman spirit.
The Glenturret 7 Year Old Peat Smoke 2023
Made with peated malt and aged for seven years, this dram made in the oldest Highland distillery delights the senses with its complex and refined flavours. Expect light smoke, vanilla and sweet aromatics on the nose, followed by a palate full of citrus, fresh green oak and sultanas, undercut by meandering peat smoke.
Benrinnes 15 Year Old
Peat is unusual in a Speyside malt. This underrated release from Diageo's Flora and Fauna collection is a firm favourite in the whisky collections of peated whisky fans. This 15-year-old Speyside single malt brings a floral nose, with notes of fresh dough and Highland toffee. The palate is sweet and rounded with a wisp of peat, before malty biscuit notes in the finish.
Laphroaig Lore
To honour the passing down of knowledge between Laphoraig's distillery managers, the current manager, John Campbell, created Laphroaig Lore, the richest ever Laphroaig. The expression is unmistakably Laphroaig - which denotes rich and deep flavours of smoke, peat and seaside minerality. This is a result of liquid being drawn from a selection of casks including first fill sherry butts, smaller quarter casks and their most precious stock capturing the timeless passion and very essence of the Laphroaig Distillery.
Talisker 10 Year Old
Deep and stormy like the ocean crashing over the rocky shores of its island distillery, Talisker is the only single malt Scotch whisky rugged enough to call the Isle of Skye its home. Talisker 10 year old is still the classic expression of this powerful, coastal malt, with big, dry, peaty and peppery notes - ideal for those cold winter nights.
Bowmore 15 Year Old
The oldest surviving distillery on Islay, Bowmore prides itself on its traditional techniques which honour past methods. It's proximity to the sea plays a vital role in shaping the final character of the spirit, which breathes in the salty sea air all the while it's maturing. Expect aromas of delicious dark chocolate, sun-dried fruits and a wisp of Islay smoke. On the palate, fragrant flavours of cedar wood and treacle toffee follow, leading into a complex finish with spice, toffee, sherry and barley.
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