wow! don't ever drink a lagavulin or laphroaig!
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Single Malt Scotch!
- Thread starter tombowlus
- Start date
I'm not a fan of overly peaty/smoky scotch. I don't mind a bit, especially if it's not on the nose or up front, but, if I feel like I rolled down a hill and ended up licking a campfire, I'll pass.
Heh, I know what you mean. The Ardbeg is just a bit too far in that direction for me: it pretty much tastes like charcoal.
That said, my two favorites so far are Bowmore and Port Charlotte, both of which have a good amount of peat smoke to them. In the case of both of those though, the smoke doesn't overpower everything else, it's just a welcome addition.
Definitely better than cigarettes, which I've never been able to understand in the first place. Ardbeg though, heaven on the nose the first time I ever had a pour, and for me, it's absolutely one of life's simple pleasures.
Lagavulin is probably the "smoothest" of the super peaty islays, but it's still super peaty, so i'm pretty sure you won't like it. Ardbeg is not as peaty as either, but still a solid Islay, so definitely peaty. Point is, if Ardbeg is too peaty, or right at your tolerance level for peat, both Lagavulin and Laphroaig are even more-so, so I don't recommend them for you.
That said, I'm surprised if you don't like peaty stuff that you got an Islay at all. I'd stick to the non-Islays, maybe even specifically the highland malts if I were generally not a fan of peaty stuff.
IMHO
A couple more in addition to Bowmore that have a nice peaty hint without overwhelming the mix - Ardmore Legacy, and another step up, Highland Park.
All great choices. I've basically replaced Macallan 18 with Highland Park 18 for a nice 18yr old Sherry Cask. Still love the Mac 18, and still have some I bought a while back, but as for replacement, it's just too overpriced these days IMHO.
Now I'm curious: what other non-Islay scotches are there that use peat in their mix? Because I do really like peat in whiskey, just not so much that it tastes like I'm licking a cigarette butt.
I'm pleased at all this love for Highland Park.
I discovered them a couple of Christmasses ago, because they have a single malt that they named after their founder...who just happened to have the same name as my son. I originally bought him a bottle of it just because it had his name on it so that he could do the smug surprised voice to his friends and say something like "Oh. You DON'T have an Orkney Islands single malt named after you ? How odd. I do." or something similarly douchey.
Then we actually tried it. And it's surprisingly good stuff. Not just good. But SURPRISINGLY good.
Try it. Highland Park's Magnus
You're welcome.
One unexpected use of peat that I'm really enjoying is Glenfiddich Fire and Cane, it has all the friendly dark fruit notes of standard glenfiddich with nice smokey under tones.
is it? I don't see any...
anyhoo, that Fire and Cane looks interesting. Only $53 at Total Wine, too. Might have to pick one up in the coming months.
picked up a bottle at random that looked interesting:
BenRiach - Curiositas (10 year peated Speyside)
This one actually tastes fairly close to Port Charlotte. It's got a bit more flavor and tartness right at the front - berries and flowers rather than a hazy coalescence of leather and honey, but they both smoothly transition into smoke and oak which coats your tongue with the warm fuzzies. I really love it! Both this and the Port Charlotte have the perfect amount of smoke for me. Tons of flavor without being overbearing.
BenRiach - Curiositas (10 year peated Speyside)
This one actually tastes fairly close to Port Charlotte. It's got a bit more flavor and tartness right at the front - berries and flowers rather than a hazy coalescence of leather and honey, but they both smoothly transition into smoke and oak which coats your tongue with the warm fuzzies. I really love it! Both this and the Port Charlotte have the perfect amount of smoke for me. Tons of flavor without being overbearing.
