Peated whisky is made by using barley that has been dried with peat smoke during the malting process. The smoky flavour in your whisky comes from organic compounds in the peat smoke called phenols. These phenols remain in the peated barley as it is fermented and distilled into whisky. Check out our Peated Whisky blog for a much more detailed exploration of peated whisky.

The strength of the phenolic peaty flavour in malted barley and whisky is measured in parts per million (ppm). A batch of barley that is peated to 25ppm may produce a whisky with around 8-15ppm depending on distillation and maturation factors, and still taste incredibly smoky and peaty to us. Peated whisky flavours can be classified into three types: Earthy, Smoky and Medicinal.

Peated whisky is most closely associated with Islay distilleries such as Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg. These distilleries, along with Port Ellen distillery have historically produced Islay’s smokiest, peatiest whiskies. Peated whisky doesn’t just come from Islay, though. Arran, Jura, Tobermory, Raasay, Highland Park, Talisker and Torabhaig distilleries all make peated single malt whisky too, as do Ardmore, Benriach, Brora/Clynelish and Springbank.