The Flavour Index: Peat Edition
Earthy, smoky, and unmistakable, peat is one of whisky’s most distinctive and divisive flavour signatures. Formed over millennia from decaying vegetation in waterlogged bogs, it carries the fingerprint of its origin. The flavour of the smoke depends on where the peat is cut, shaped by the landscape’s flora and fauna.
In this edition of The Flavour Index, we compare 24 peated whiskies from around the world to explore how geography, peat composition, and production choices shape their character. The list is not exhaustive, but it offers a guide to understanding how place transforms smoke into flavour, from the gentle hearth-like warmth of the Highlands to the briny power of Islay and the earthy depth of whiskies made far beyond Scotland’s shores.
1. Amrut Fusion
Amrut represents the bold frontier of Indian single malt. Made from a blend of Indian six-row barley and Scottish two-row peated barley, Fusion is matured in ex-bourbon casks under Bangalore’s tropical climate, where heat accelerates maturation and amplifies depth. The region’s high altitude and temperature swings accelerate maturation, concentrating character into a whisky that bridges Eastern terroir and Western technique with remarkable depth.
2. Ardbeg 10 Year
Ardbeg is synonymous with Islay peat intensity, known for balancing power with purity. Its malt is sourced from the island’s southern coast, where maritime peat imparts notes of sea spray and smoke rather than ash. Distilled in tall stills and aged in ex-bourbon casks, the 10 Year showcases Ardbeg’s hallmark clarity of flavour, rich texture, and coastal character.
3. Bladnoch Alinta
Bladnoch, Scotland’s most southerly distillery, is known for its light, floral Lowland malts. Alinta, meaning “flame,” reinterprets that delicacy with Highland-sourced peat, introducing intense smoke into Bladnoch’s signature honeyed profile. The whisky is matured in a combination of ex-bourbon and PX sherry casks, yielding a layered spirit where orchard fruit and malt sweetness meet understated smoke, creating a rare smoky Lowland expression.
4. Bowmore 15 Year
Bowmore represents the heart of Islay tradition, where balance defines the house style. Its peat, cut from the island’s Laggan Moss, imparts soft, earthy smoke rather than sharp medicinal tones. The whisky spends its early years in bourbon casks before a lengthy finish in Oloroso sherry butts, a process that once earned it the title “The Darkest.” The result is a harmony of maritime smoke, rich fruit, and dark chocolate richness.
5. Compass Box Peat Monster
Compass Box is known for redefining the art of blended malt whisky. Peat Monster combines malts from both Islay and the Highlands, showcasing the spectrum of Scottish smoke. The Islay component adds maritime depth and brine, while the Highland peat brings sweetness & structure. Aged in a mix of refill and toasted French oak, it delivers a layered, expressive study in bold balance.
6. Elements of Islay Sherry Cask
The Elements of Islay range captures the individuality of the island’s distilleries through small-batch blending. The Sherry Cask edition combines Islay single malts aged in first-fill and refill sherry butts, emphasizing the dark, dried-fruit richness that sherry aging brings to smoky spirit. Each batch is bottled at natural strength, balancing maritime peat with notes of spice, fruit, and dense oak sweetness.
7. Glen Moray Peated
Glen Moray, long admired for its approachable Speyside style, experiments here with a lightly peated malt. The peat is sourced from northern Scotland, lending a dry, woody smoke that complements the distillery’s natural sweetness. Matured entirely in ex-bourbon casks, this expression bridges Speyside’s classic orchard fruit profile with a gentle, smoky undertone that makes peat both inviting and accessible.
8. Glenfiddich Fire & Cane
Glenfiddich Fire & Cane is part of the distillery’s Experimental Series, blending tradition with curiosity. It combines lightly peated Glenfiddich malt with spirit matured in ex-bourbon barrels before a final finish in Latin American rum casks. This dual influence brings together smoke, sweetness, and spice, highlighting Glenfiddich’s signature fruit character through a playful balance of Speyside refinement and smoky innovation.
9. Highland Park 12 Year
Highland Park’s style is defined by balance—heather honey sweetness intertwined with gentle smoke. The peat, cut from Hobbister Moor near the distillery, is rich in heather rather than coastal vegetation, lending a floral, aromatic quality rather than brine. Matured predominantly in sherry-seasoned European and American oak casks, this expression embodies Orkney’s dual nature: rugged yet refined, with structure and sweetness in equal measure.
10. Holyrood Embra
Holyrood Distillery represents a modern approach to Edinburgh whisky-making, focusing on malt variety and fermentation precision. Embra is a lightly peated single malt designed to bridge fruity new-make character with smoky depth. Peated malt from the Scottish Highlands lends subtle earthiness, while a combination of bourbon, sherry, and STR (shaved, toasted, re-charred) casks adds sweetness and structure. The result is a vibrant, contemporary Lowland-style whisky.
11. Isle of Harris Hearach
The Hearach is the first single malt from the Isle of Harris Distillery, embodying the island’s rugged beauty and strong sense of community. Crafted from Scottish barley and lightly peated with mainland peat, it carries a delicate, mineral-led smoke balanced by soft fruit and malt sweetness. Matured in a mix of ex-bourbon, Oloroso, and Fino sherry casks, it reflects the maritime climate that shapes Harris’ emerging whisky identity.
12. Jura 12 Year
Jura’s distillery sits between mountain and sea, creating a whisky defined by island contrast. Its peat is mild and used sparingly, allowing the distillery’s honeyed malt character to shine through. The 12 Year is matured in ex-bourbon casks and finished in Oloroso sherry casks, adding layers of dried fruit and spice. The result is a smooth, balanced island malt that reflects Jura’s distinctive climate and softer smoke profile.
13. Kilchoman Machir Bay
Jura’s distillery sits between mountain and sea, creating a whisky defined by island contrast. Its peat is mild and used sparingly, allowing the distillery’s honeyed malt character to shine through. The 12 Year is matured in ex-bourbon casks and finished in Oloroso sherry casks, adding layers of dried fruit and spice. The result is a smooth, balanced island malt that reflects Jura’s distinctive climate and softer smoke profile.
14. Lagavulin 16 Year
Lagavulin’s hallmark is intensity from dense peat smoke layered with maritime depth to slow, deliberate maturation. The peat is sourced from Islay’s western shores, imparting iodine, seaweed, and deep phenolic richness. Distilled slowly and aged in ex-bourbon and sherry casks, the 16 Year builds complexity through oxidation and wood influence. It remains one of Islay’s most iconic whiskies, balancing smoke, sweetness, and quiet power.
15. Laphroaig 10 Year
Laphroaig 10 year defines Islay’s medicinal, sea-driven style. The peat, sourced from the distillery’s own bogs at Glenmachrie, contains decomposed seaweed and moss that create its signature iodine and phenolic smoke. Distilled using small, onion-shaped stills and matured in ex-bourbon casks by the Atlantic coast, it delivers a whisky that is unapologetically briny, smoky, and unmistakably Laphroaig.
16. Ledaig 10 Year
Produced at Tobermory Distillery on the Isle of Mull, Ledaig represents the peated side of the operation. The peat, sourced from mainland Scotland, imparts an earthy, smoky profile rather than coastal salinity. Matured in ex-bourbon casks, this 10 Year expression emphasizes balance between sweet malt and dry smoke. Ledaig’s signature lies in its rustic complexity and faint maritime influence shaped by Mull’s wild climate.
17. Macaloney Peat Project (Kelp & Washington
Peat Ex-Bourbon)
Macaloney’s Island Distillery on Vancouver Island explores regional “terroir and merroir” through its Peat Project series. This edition uses barley peat-smoked onsite with peat from Washington State infused with local sugar kelp, adding subtle maritime salinity. Aged entirely in ex-bourbon casks it balances soft fruit and malt sweetness with a clean, organic smoke that reflects Canada’s Pacific character.
18. Macnair’s Lum Reek 12 Year Old
Created by iconic Master Distiller Billy Walker, Macnair’s Lum Reek unites Speyside and Islay malts for a rich, balanced smoke profile. The peat influence comes from Islay, contributing maritime depth and gentle phenolics. Matured in Oloroso sherry, red wine, and ex-bourbon casks, this 12 Year expression demonstrates Walker’s signature layering of fruit, spice, and smoke in equal measure.
19. Nikka Yoichi Single Malt
Yoichi, located on Japan’s northern Hokkaido coast, embodies the influence of cold air, sea mist, and coal-fired distillation. The peat, sourced from Japan and imported from Scotland, gives dry, earthy smoke without medicinal sharpness. Aged in a mix of re-charred and ex-bourbon casks, Yoichi maintains a robust, old-world structure balanced by the precision and harmony that define Japanese whisky-making.
20. Paul John Peated Select Cask
Produced in Goa, Paul John’s whiskies express Indian climate intensity and coastal influence. Peated Select Cask uses imported Scottish peat, which produces dry campfire smoke rather than maritime notes. Matured in ex-bourbon casks under tropical conditions, it develops quickly, yielding rich malt character, oily texture, and lingering spice. The result is a uniquely Indian interpretation of peated whisky with global appeal.
21. Port Askaig 8 Year
Port Askaig represents Islay in its purest form, drawing spirit from unnamed coastal distilleries near the island’s north. The peat is maritime and earthy, creating a smoke that leans toward salt, ash, and sweet citrus. Matured in refill American oak, the 8 Year emphasizes freshness and transparency, allowing the distillate’s minerality and coastal precision to shine through without heavy oak influence.
22. The Famous Grouse Smoky Black
The Famous Grouse Smoky Black builds on the brand’s approachable blending style while introducing a bolder, smoky edge. Its core includes Islay peated malts blended with Highland and Speyside whiskies for balance. Matured in a mix of refill and sherry-seasoned oak, it offers gentle smoke wrapped in sweetness, maintaining the brand’s signature smoothness while adding greater complexity and depth.
23. The Legendary Dark Silkie
Produced by Sliabh Liag Distillers in County Donegal, The Legendary Silkie Dark revives Ireland’s lost tradition of smoky whiskey. The blend combines triple-distilled malts of varying peat levels, with smoke derived from Highland peat rather than turf. Matured in sherry, bourbon, and virgin oak, it balances dark chocolate sweetness with dry, earthy smoke, reflecting both Irish heritage and modern craftsmanship.
24. Torabhaig Allt Gleann
Torabhaig, the Isle of Skye’s newest distillery, marries traditional methods with a focus on clarity of smoke. The peat, sourced from the Highlands, produces an earthy, wood-fired character rather than maritime iodine. Fermented long and distilled in small copper stills, Allt Gleann is aged in first-fill and refill bourbon barrels, yielding a spirit that balances smoke, fruit, and malt purity in a distinctly modern island style.