What Contributes to a Smoky Flavor?
 

Hey, folks--

I'm a new Scotch lover--I only have about a year or so experience. Bottles I've owned are JW Black Label, Glenfiddich 12, Bunnahabhain 12, Balvenie 12, Laphroaig 10, Bruichladdich Laddie 10 and Highland Park 12. I've tried many others out at bars and restaurants.

On my very limited journey, I've come to very much appreciate Scotch whiskies with a smoky character. My favorite examples are probably the HP 12 and the Laddie Ten, though in my opinion both have a different type of smokiness. The Laddie has a (slightly) peaty smokiness, but the HP is more reminiscent of, say, a steak off the grill. I'm fine with a touch of peat, as in the Laddie, but Laphroaig is peatier than I care for.

So what contributes to the smokiness of a Scotch whisky? Is it always related to peat content? Or can it be caused by the charring of the casks? How can I direct my Scotch search toward mildly peated smoky whiskies or, if possible, whiskies that are smoky without a very forward peat expression (if any at all) a la Highland Park?

Apologies if this has been well-covered before, but I tried a number of different search terms and didn't quite find the answers I'm looking for.

Thanks in advance!

All smoke is related to peat in one form or another and peats have different properties depending on which part of Scotland they are, mainland is quite different to the islands. There are a number of Speyside and Highland malt distilleries that are currently producing a peated version for 4 or 5 weeks each year so there will be a lot more to your taste in the future. Interestingly HP only started to use peat early in the 1990's which was quite a change.
Charring casks gives a "red line" where the wood sugars are caramelised and give bourbon it's colour, it also makes it easier for the spirit to soak into the wood for maturation but doesn't add a smokey flavour.

Thanks for the info! Can you recommend any of those Speyside or Highland distilleries?

I found the great peated whisky ranking list and based on that, I may first go for Ardmore and Benromach (both Speysides). If that list is accurate, those are both in the HP neighborhood (tending a bit higher).

I may try Talisker again--I first had it last month on a business trip, and while it was a tad too peaty (just a tad!), I was sipping it before and during dinner! May have been the wrong context.

I know and like Ardmore as it has a slight smokey tang but relatively sweet, Benromach I could drink but it's not one of my favorites. It may be a few years for some of the mainland distilleries to bring out their peated versions as it's only been in the past 10 years or so that they've started peating. Talking to one or two it seems that they're trying to go for heavy peat to go up against the Islays. Try to get to a whisky fair or two and you can see whats on offer, if you look at the list you'll see that some of them are in there above Laphroaig so that shows you what they're trying to do.

If you are thinking of going for peated Speysiders then there are a couple of crackers you should try...not sure what budget you are on though.

The Balvenie do a 17yr peated cask which is nice (around £75)

Benriach do a 17yr peated malt too (around £50) - this is quite lightly peated and smokey and not at all overpowering and very well . Its called "Septendecim" and got great reviews from Jim Murray (93.5 points!).



Benriach do quite a few different peated malts of different age, which you may think of trying.

My wife is treating me to WhiskyFest San Francisco trip this coming September--very much looking forward to it! It will be my first such experience. Unfortunately she's not a whisk(e)y drinker (tequila is her drink), but at least we'll have a sober driver. ;)