Smoke in the glass — how peat shapes whisky
Peated whisky is made from malted barley dried over a peat fire. The smoke adds flavours of campfire, iodine and sea air. It is a style, not a place, and it runs from a gentle wisp to a full bonfire.
Smoke from the fire that dried the barley
Peated whisky is whisky made from barley that has been dried over a peat fire. Peat is partly decayed moss, heather and other plants that has built up in bogs over thousands of years. When it burns, it gives off a thick smoke. That smoke clings to the damp malted barley and gives the whisky its smoky character.
Peat is a method, not a place. The more smoke the barley takes on, the smokier the whisky. Distillers measure this in phenol parts per million (ppm). Most of the famous names are Scottish, and many are on the island of Islay, but peated whisky is also made in Ireland, Japan and other countries.
Light peat and heavy peat — the same word, very different whiskies
ppm measures phenols in the malted barley, before distilling and ageing. Much of the smoke is lost on the way to the bottle, and two whiskies with the same ppm can taste very different. Use ppm as a guide, not a promise.
From a necessity of the islands to a global cult
Peat is the fuel. In parts of Scotland and Ireland wood is scarce, so people burn peat to heat homes and to dry malt. Smoke is simply part of the whisky.
Other fuels arrive. Coal and coke make drying malt cleaner and more controllable. Many distilleries use less peat, and smoke becomes a choice rather than a given.
Industrial malting. Large maltings supply malt dried to an exact peat level, measured in ppm. Most distillers stop malting their own barley, and each chooses how much smoke to buy.
Ardbeg gets new life. Glenmorangie buys Ardbeg and invests in the distillery, helping to bring a much-loved name back. Heavy Islay peat finds a new, loyal audience.
Extreme peat. Bruichladdich releases Octomore, with peat levels above 100 ppm. Peated whisky is now made around the world, from Ireland and Japan to craft distillers elsewhere.
What peat tastes like — and how to use it
From bog to bottle
Barley is soaked and left to sprout, a stage called malting. To stop it growing, the grain is dried in a kiln. If peat is burned in the kiln, its smoke clings to the grain and the phenols in the smoke become part of the malt. The longer and heavier the smoking, the higher the ppm. That malt is then mashed, fermented and distilled, and the smoky character is carried into the spirit.
ppm describes the malt, not the finished whisky. Much of the smoke falls away during distilling and ageing, and the shape of the stills, the cut the distiller takes and the casks used all change how smoky a whisky tastes. A 50 ppm malt can taste gentler than the number suggests.
Peated does not mean Islay. Highland Park (Orkney), Talisker (Skye), Ledaig (Mull), Springbank and Longrow (Campbeltown), Connemara (Ireland) and Yoichi (Japan) all make peated whisky, each in a different style. Ageing in sherry or bourbon casks can soften or sweeten the smoke.
From a wisp of smoke to a bonfire
Here smoke is a seasoning. Highland Park 12 and Talisker 10 give a whiff of smoke over honey, fruit and pepper, a good way in if you are unsure about peat.
ExamplesBowmore 12, Caol Ila 12, Lagavulin 16 and Laphroaig 10 sit around here. The smoke is clear and confident but balanced by sweetness, fruit and sea air. This is where many peat lovers settle.
ExamplesArdbeg 10, Kilchoman Machir Bay and Longrow Peated lead the way, with Bruichladdich’s Octomore at the extreme end. Intense, tarry and powerful, and not for the faint-hearted.
ExamplesThe distilleries behind peated whisky
The most medicinal of the big Islay names: iodine, seaweed and thick smoke. Laphroaig 10 is a benchmark for heavy peat, and the Quarter Cask adds a sweeter, creamier twist.
Known forDry, tarry, lemony smoke from heavily peated malt. Ardbeg 10 is one of the best-loved peated whiskies in the world, and Uigeadail and Corryvreckan add sherry depth and strength.
Known forRich, slow-burning smoke over dark fruit and sherried depth. Lagavulin 16 is widely seen as the great introduction to Islay’s richer, deeper side.
Known forIslay’s farm distillery, founded in 2005 and still independent. It grows and malts some of its own barley on the island, and Machir Bay is a balanced, fruity smoke.
Known forWhich peated whisky is right for you?
Start light. Highland Park 12 and Talisker 10 offer smoke with plenty of sweetness, so you can find out whether you like it before committing to a bonfire. A little water or a splash of soda can soften the smoke further.
TryLagavulin 16 and Laphroaig 10 are the two benchmarks. Lagavulin is richer and sweeter, Laphroaig sharper and more medicinal. Caol Ila 12 is a lighter, more elegant way in.
TryArdbeg Corryvreckan and Longrow Peated show peat at full strength, and Octomore sits at the extreme end with more than 100 ppm in the malt. Try them with a few drops of water to open them up.
TryPeated whisky reviews on Caskable
All reviews →Peated whisky: quick answers
What does peated whisky taste like?
Smoky, first of all, like a campfire or smoked food. Many peated whiskies also taste of iodine, seaweed, tar and sea air, with sweetness and fruit underneath. How strong these flavours are depends on how heavily the malt was peated, how long the whisky was aged and which casks it sat in.
What does ppm mean in whisky?
ppm is parts per million of phenols, the smoky compounds, measured in the malted barley before it is distilled. As a rough guide, under 20 ppm is light, 20–40 is medium and above 40 is heavy. It does not tell you exactly how smoky the finished whisky will taste, because distilling, ageing and casks all change the result.
Is all Islay whisky peated?
No. Islay is famous for peat, but Bunnahabhain is usually made with unpeated malt, and Bruichladdich’s Classic Laddie is unpeated. Some Islay distilleries make both peated and unpeated styles, so check the label.
How do I get into peated whisky?
Start with a light-to-medium peated whisky, such as Highland Park 12, Talisker 10 or Bowmore 12. Try it neat with a splash of water, or use it in a cocktail such as a Penicillin. If you like it, move up to Caol Ila, Lagavulin and Laphroaig.
Is peated whisky made outside Scotland?
Yes. Connemara is a well-known peated Irish malt, Yoichi makes peated whisky in Japan, and craft distilleries in other countries also make smoky styles.
ppm figures are approximate and describe the malt, not the finished whisky
