Peated Scotch... Which one?

Johann_Tanzer · November 25 2016 at 1:26AM

I've been itching to try a peated whisky, but do not want to start with the big boys like Lagavulin, Ardbeg or Laphroaig. What could I try that would be a gentler introduction to this style of Scotch..?

[Deleted User] · November 25 2016 at 4:06AM

@Johann_Tanzer

Some good distilleries for you to try would be Talisker 10 Year Old, Highland Park 12 Year Old, Springbank 10 Year Old, and Benromach 10 Year Old.

bedlamborn · November 25 2016 at 9:39AM

@Johann_Tanzer
I have the same recommendations as Carlton. They are a good start.

hwchoy · November 25 2016 at 5:13PM

@Johann_Tanzer

if you are able to get hold of the Glenfiddich Cask Collection - Vintage Cask (not sure if it is travel retail exclusive), this is a sweet Glenfiddich with a light peaty touch, apparently echoing back to their old days when Glenfiddich malts were dried by peat fire.

The peat in this is a smoky peat rather than those phenolic/medicinal peat like the Caol Ila or Lagavulin.

toddstevens4 · November 27 2016 at 1:12AM

@Johann_Tanzer Great to hear you're ready to expand your dramming experiences! A good lightly peated whisky (though colored and chill-filtered, being a standard release Diageo product) comes out of the Oban Distillery. Quite pricey for the age in the United States but worth a go. See if you can taste it at a bar first, as peated whisky may be intolerable to you.

horst_s_2 · November 29 2016 at 8:12AM

Johann_Tanzer said:

I've been itching to try a peated whisky, but do not want to start with the big boys like Lagavulin, Ardbeg or Laphroaig. What could I try that would be a gentler introduction to this style of Scotch..?

I would also suggest Bowmore. They are not that smoky as the others from Islay but still more intense as the whiskies from the mainland.

kroman · November 29 2016 at 10:54AM

You might want to give Port Charlotte's Islay Barley a try. a friend of mine, who hates peated scotch, tried it with me at a Bruichladdie tasting. he loved it so much that he bought a bottle!

The container says "heavily peated", but the smoke seemed to compliment, rather than define, the whisky.

FYI, we both tried the Port Charlotte Scottish Barley, and for some reason it was good, but the Islay Barley was better.

Shawn_A_Anderson · December 3 2016 at 6:24PM

I recently stepped into the smoky whisky, first was HP 12 loved it. I then tried Benromach 10 and it's very good, has a similar smoke but less sweet than the HP12. Yesterday I purchased a Bunnahabhain 12 and find it quite different, light smoke but i'm guessing it's a peaty taste i get.

kroman · December 4 2016 at 12:51PM

@FUBAR Bunnahabhain 12 is a great choice, but it's considered to be a non-peated whisky. You might be picking up some oakiness from the cask. It can be hard sometimes to tell the difference between oak and light peat. Or simply it's your brain is playing tricks on you, lol. After all, "it's from Islay, so there MUST be at least a little peat in it."

Bunnahabhain has two peated whiskies: toiteach and coebanach

Dankezzz · December 7 2016 at 10:29PM

Bowmore 12, Bowmore 15 Darkest or Highland Park 12 if you want a light peat start. Talisker 10 or Ledaig 10 if you want more smoke...

hwchoy · December 8 2016 at 9:01AM

Laphroaig PX cask