Smoky Whisky Reviews

A cult classic, with brands such as Ardbeg, Laphroaig and Lagavulin making up the mainstays of this smoky, peaty whisky flavour profile, measured in PPM. This is one of the ways in which distilleries can give their whisky a unique character. Crudely, PPM is a measure of ‘peatiness’ in whisky. The phenols come from the smoke of a peat fire and are absorbed by the malt whilst it is drying, leading to different levels of peatiness in a whisky depending on the length of time the smoking takes place for.

whisky

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE

So, Whisky / Whiskey for Beginners, you want to start drinking Whisky. It’s a pretty versatile drink and caters to many tastes. It also makes you look cool and sophisticated, so what’s not to love?

Top Smoky Whisky FAQs

When do they put the smoke in? No one adds smoke the smoky/smokey flavours in whisky. They are more often than not derived from the fuels used to dry the barley through the fermentation part of the process.
Which is the most interesting Islay whisky? This could be a contentious answer so we’re going to be diplomatic about it. Each whisky made on Islay is interesting in its own way. There are  lots of innovative things going on at each of the distilleries. Bruichladdich are interested in looking at how terroir shapes a whisky and at Ardbeg they have literally sent whisky into space to see how the flavour is effected. Look at each distillery individually and you’ll find something interesting about each of them.
Which Islay (or Jura) whiskies are whisky drinkers' favourites and why? There really isn’t an answer to this as each is loved in its own way by people. Ultimately, if you like peated malts, then Islay whisky will probably be your favourite. Ardbeg is particularly popular, as is Laphroaig, and both are heavily peated. As for Jura, again, its hard to say but if you’re into light bodied, floral or sweet whisky, then you’ll probably enjoy Jura.

Login / register