Cocktail Queries: What is peat, and why is it so important to scotch whisky? Islay scotchwhisky Scotland
If you’ve ever read about scotch whisky, or just had the misfortune of sitting next to a particularly gabby whisky geek at the bar, then you’re likely at least passingly familiar with the term “peat.” You may have heard whiskeys described as tasting of peat, or simply labeled as “peaty,” but to the average American whiskey consumer who hasn’t dabbled extensively in scotch, the truth about peat may be a bit more complex than one realizes.
For thousands of years, people living near these sources have turned to peat as a readily accessible source of fuel. After being cut out of the ground, peat is stacked and dried, and can then be burned as a slow-burning substitute for firewood. Many generations have subsequently heated their homes or cooked food over peat fires.
In short, peated malt is assertive–it doesn’t play around, and it’s arguably the most intense malt flavor profile out there. In a scotch whisky, it proves campfire-like wood smoke, which may range from sweet to predominantly sour, and it also likely provides “medicinal” flavors reminiscent of vegetation, seaweed, iodine and salinity. At the same time, however, peated malt can also be spicy, sweet and only mildly smoky, depending on its treatment.
As you travel westward in Scotland, however, the presence of peat steadily becomes more common. It’s used semi-widely in Highland malts such as Oban, where it contributes a solid background of smokiness that doesn’t overtake the rest of the flavor profile–but at the same time, you still won’t find those smoky flavors in famous Highland brands such as Glenmorangie or Glendronach.
Nor is it necessary for you, the consumer, to progress straight to drinking neat Islay single malts, which can be a bit daunting if you haven’t quite developed a taste for them yet.
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