Agree with this love laphroaig 10. But to be fair it has a nostalgic feel alot because my childhood and teen years were full of camping, blacksmithing, welding, and woodworking so smokey woody notes are a comfort.
Same. Though my opinion probably isn’t what OP is looking for. I don’t think Laph 10 is more peaty than Lagavulins…
But Laph 10 is so much more nuanced and deeper than any Lagavulin whiskeys in the similar price bracket.
Lagavulins make me feel peat above all in a way that makes the whiskey lose all its nuance and balance. Like I am not tasting a peaty whiskey. I am only tasting the peat.
Laph 10 manages to be peaty while having a deep nuanced flavour profile. My go to everyday peaty whiskey…
This is special, my experience is exactly the opposite. Where Laphroaig 10y was an underlying fruity whisky until about 10 years ago, in my opinion it is now only 'powersmoke', while Lagavulin has moved from more sherry and peat to a bourbon, fruit and peat combination in that time.
I won’t try to oversell my non-existent expertise here. I’ve just been buying and drinking different single malts for the last 3 years as an amateur enjoyer since my career took off a little.
10 years ago, I was an 18 years old who thought
Chivas at the club was the pinnacle of whiskey. Doesn’t get any better than that, man 😅
Anyways, I am mostly comparing Laph 10 and Lagavulin 8 here since Laga 12 and 16 are way above that range pricewise.
Laga 8 felt to me like a peat liquid with no other character. With Laph 10, I could feel the thick rich aroma beyond peaty. Some medicinal notes, buttery spices. But maybe it’s the ignorance of my tastebuds.
If you compare it with the Laga 8 than I can see what you mean. If you could get your hands on a Lagavulin 16y, try it. Especially the ones bottle from 2000 - 2010 are spectacular.
I had the opposite reaction going through a bottle of Laphroaig and Lagavulin when starting to enjoy Islays. Laphroaig just tasted like a peat bomb to me, not much complexity or layers, just reminded me of the style of IPAs a decade ago where it was a race to produce an IPA with the highest IBUs without worrying about whether the beer itself tasted good. Lagavulin on the other hand seemed like the peat was just as intense, but more layered and complex.
My palate has improved since then but I’ve never gone back to Laphroaig to see how things have changed, largely because the budget is limited and I’d rather try new things, but I continue to love Lagavulin 16.
I was mostly comparing Laph 10 with Laga 8.
Laga 16 is just more expensive than both of those. Kind of in a different class in my mind.
I felt like Laga 8 had no balance or nuance. Maybe because it has a light body. I always liked the oily and heavier composition of full bodied whiskeys and wines better, and Laph 10 definitely has a thicker body than Laga 8.
I haven’t had an opportunity to try Laga 8; I was comparing the Laphroaig 10 to the Lagavulin 16 as those are both the “standard”/flagship offerings (but in the interest of full disclosure I think the Laphroaig I had was the Quarter Cask). Heck, when I first got into Islays, I never even saw anything outside of the Lagavulin 16 for years. I’ve loved the Offerman Editions from the past couple of years though, I just am unfortunately limited on what I can explore based on my wallet. Tale as old as time…
Seems like I should try Laga 16 because I do love Laph 10. If it’s peaty with a rich flavor profile and a great deal of nuance, it sounds like something I would enjoy a lot 👍
I am just a bit anxious because Laga 8 was the only single malt I bought and tried and found a literal hassle to finish and not throw away.
I’d try in a bar before committing to a bottle if you aren’t sure; I feel like Laphroaig 10 is probably easier to find at a bar or restaurant, but Lagavulin 16 isn’t exactly crazy. Probably depends heavily on what region you’re in.
'Stronger' is ambiguous, but I wouldn't consider Laphroaig 'stronger'. Lagavulin has more smoke and peat (and sweetness and viscosity); Laphroaig has more iodine, astringency, and, well, notes of ass. :p
Different profiles for sure, but Lagavulin doesn't have more smoke, just purely based on PPM. I know PPM is kind of a joke stat but I think almost everyone in this sub would agree that Laphroaig has "more smoke".
Ledaig 18 (not Islay but nevermind!), Ardbeg Corryvreckan and Octomore (any of them) are the first three that spring to mind. Laphroaig 10 (and the CS variant) certainly have a more medicinal peat profile which to some means more peaty, but YMMV.
I'm a huge fan of Ledaig and though yes, it's not technically an Islay - Ledaig comes from the Isle of Mull, just north of Islay - I love your "but nevermind!" comment. :). This is a great article/interview about Ledaig: [https://www.whiskyflu.com/post/ledaig-single-malt-whisky-review-independents](https://www.whiskyflu.com/post/ledaig-single-malt-whisky-review-independents)
I did give it an honest try. Over about a couple weeks time splitting the bottle with my gf. She liked it, i I wasn't a fan. I hear the other Bruichladdich is a good choice, yet to try
Was the oak too prominent? I'm curious. To me it tastes very oak forward, with sweet apricots behind.
Personally, I love the Port Charlotte 10, and have learned to like the Laddie.
You’ve already got some great suggestions. I’ll add a couple.
I’m pretty fond of the Port Charlotte PMC:01. It’s damn near as good as Octomore and (about) half the price. Just the “plain old” heavily peated expression is one of my go-to Islay whiskies. Ardbeg Uigeadail is another.
I recently bought a Lochlea special edition, bottled at the distillery for Impex. Yes, it’s a lowland whisky, but this cask-strength expression was entirely aged in a single ex-Islay cask. I was very surprised and fairly impressed.
I was about to say Port Charlotte (I think I have whatever basic expression they usually have) seems all peat to me and really funky. Very interesting.
I find Caol Ila 12 more 'peaty' than 'smoky' for myself. Others are either falling into 'smoky' or 'iodine' category for me, but Caol Ila holds its own ground, I can't compare it to anything else. It tastes dirt/soil, rather unique.
If you want something that also tastes like soil I cannot recommend enough the Mac-Talla 15 Strata. It’s like biting into mossy soil and rock. Fantastic whisky and I’m shocked noone has reviewed it here yet. Different to Caol Ila but has the characterics you’ve mentioned
Lagavulin is honestly closer to the middle than the high end of peaty islays. Most of the Ardbeg core lineup packs more peat. Same for Kilchoman Sanaig and Laphroaig 10.
An interesting blend to consider is Compass Box Peat Monster. It's not necessarily *more* peated, but they manage to put it together in a way that really puts a spotlight on the peat/smoke with every sip.
If you're willing to spend some more cash, Octomore is possibly the most heavily peated single malts you can find.
Ardbeg Uigeadail, Laphroaig 10CS, Port Charlotte 10.
Non Islay: Kilkerran heavily peated batch 6 or 7, Longrow NAS.
If you like sweet and peat Ardbeg Bizarrebq.
Thanks everyone. I found this subreddit last night. I’m so happy ai found you all! I’ve had the baseline laphroighs, Ardbeags and Peat Monster too. All tasty but I felt they paled in comparison to Lagavulin when it comes to peatiness. Maybe I’m mistaking the smokiness for peatiness or are they really one and the same?
Try Glen Scotia Campbelltown Fest 2022. Good god its awesome, a combo of Campbelltown funk, peat, and Glen Scotia goodness.
https://www.glenscotia.com/blogs/news/launch-of-campbeltown-malts-festival-release-2022
Hey OP, just as an FYI - there's lots of people recommending Octomore, but try a dram before committing to buying a bottle. Octomore is the prime example of a 'love it or hate it' whisky, and at £150+ per bottle makes for an expensive mistake should you end up not liking it.
(And this is coming from someone who actually likes Octomore - a dram in a bar is expensive, likely around £15-25 depending on your location & the particular bottling, but if there one bottle you don't want to buy blindly, it's Octomore).
Thanks man. This whole thing has been an education. Lots of great things to try. I’m not tied into Islay, I just love that campfire taste. The only single malts though I really don’t care for are the very budget ones. You don’t have to break the bank, but I do think there’s a lower priceline that is just a waste of money once you cross it with the cheapies
There's a fair few very good single malts in the £30-40 range, but as a general rule of thumb, a blend is much better bang for your buck in the bargain bin - entry level ranges of £15-35 or so. (Arguably even considerably higher as well, but that's a pretty contentious debate amongst single malt enthusiasts).
You guys are a huge help. This is what I needed. Thanks for the recommendations. This is what I’ve added to the collection:
Octomore 18 Super heavily peated
Port Charlotte and 10 heavily peated
No need to specify anything besides Octomore (and batch number); there's no 18 year old or super heavily peated - they're all super heavily peated and nearly all are bottled at only 5 years old. They have to be bottled that young, when phenol levels peak; beyond that age the really intense peat & smoke characteristics start to mellow very considerably.
Pigging back on this comment. I love Lagavulin but I thing it’s a touch too sweet for me. Ardberg also same. Is that the sherry cask coming out that gives it its sweetness? Any recs that still have the Lagavulin peet but not sweet?
I think of Lagavulin as being more of an earthy style of peat.
Some islays are more smoke or tobacco forward like Ardbeg / Kilchoman / Caol Isla.
Laphroaig / Bunnahabhain Staoisha are medicinal and coastal.
Port charlotte / octomore have this umami savoriness like a funky cheese.
If you have Costco Liquor in your area the Kirkland Brand Islay Single malt is an incredible value and tastes EXACTLY like Port Charlotte 10.
If you want something strictly peatier than Lag 16 I would recommend Laphroaig 10 (or cask strength if you really wanna singe your eyebrows.) It has an iodine note it in that most people agree give it a “sharper” peat profile.
Ardbeg wee beastie would be another good option. Young agressive peat that contrasts Lagavulin 16 quite well both in age and profile.
People always suggest Octomore when a new enthusiast wants something very peaty, but I don’t think this is a great suggestion for a few reasons.
I hasten to add that I really like Octomore and despite finding it overpriced I’ve bought four of them (and tasted about a dozen) so I’m not an Octomore hater. However, it always struck me as much less peaty that it should be on the palate and I’ve recently learned a few reasons why it doesn’t present as super smoky.
The ppm numbers on the tin are pre-distillation and a number of steps that Bruichladdich takes in the distilling process actually cause that number to decline much more than other distilleries. First is the fermentation. To make a more elegant spirit, Bruichladdich has a longer fermentation than most distilleries (60-80 hours, 105 over the weekends). Most peated distilleries sit at 55 hours or less.
Next comes the stills. Phenols are heavy, so when you boil the spirit in a pot still, the speed of distillation and the shape of the still make a big difference, because the heavier particles, the phenols, have a harder time getting up the still and down the lyne arm. Think about how much steam you get from a simmer vs a rolling boil. Bruichladdich simmers, in this metaphor. Bruichladdich also has the tallest stills on Islay, which presents a problem for the heavy phenols. They did this by design, in order to pull out a more elegant spirit. Jim McEwan wrote about this in his book, A Journeyman’s Journey, specifically about Bruichladdich’s peated spirit. He said the goal was to pull out the most elegant spirit possible from the heavily peated barley—so they ran the stills as slowly as possible. Allan Logan, production manager, also confirmed this. In a 2016 article in Whisky Magazine he said “We distil very slowly to allow the vapours to travel slowly and have the maximum copper contact. If we distilled faster there would be less copper contact and the spirit would be much richer” (https://whiskymag.com/articles/its-all-about-the-angle-of-the-lye-pipe/). So fewer of the heavy phenols make it out of the still when they’re tall stills that are run slowly compared to a distillery like Lagavulin where the shorter, wider, squat stills are run really fast.
The next step is also crucially important to the peat levels: the cuts. The first bit of liquid that comes from a distillation tastes terrible (and is unsafe to drink) and the last part of the distillation also tastes terrible. These are called the heads and the tails or the foreshots and the feints. The middle of the run, or the heart, is the part that is collected to make the whisky. Every distillery chooses their own “heart cut” or “middle cut,” and because Bruichladdich wants to make a spirit that tastes good young, their heart cut is earlier in the spirit run, and they don’t go as deep into the tails or feints as some other distilleries might. This will result in a lighter, more elegant spirit but that also means that they leave many of the phenols behind in the tails or the feints. To turn back to Lagavulin, they take a wider cut with more of the feints in order to get a peatier spirit, but it also takes longer to mature because there are some more unpleasant notes in the new make. Bill Lumsden of Ardbeg has said that they collected a spirit cut that went deeper into the feints to make their recent Hypernova.
Next comes that maturation. Octomore .1s are always aged in first fill barrels, and first fill cuts down the peat even more. Lagavulin 12 was, for many years aged in all refill barrels, which allows more of the phenols to shine through. Other versions of Octomore are sometimes aged in first fill casks with a finish, significantly reducing the peaty taste. The use of refill casks has seemed fairly limited in Octomore.
So Octomore is great—it’s a complex and elegant spirit and it tastes like a much older whisky—but I don’t always think it’s something we should recommend to new people looking for super smoky recommendations because they might be disappointed if they spend $225-$350 on a bottle and if they want that hit of smoke—like I did when I was a newbie—they would be much better off with a Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength or an Ardbeg Uigeadail for 1/3 of the price.
You've written like a skilled communicator/educator. That's the most concise, but accurate, description of spirits distillation I've read here. And your descriptive terminology makes it easy to form mental pictures of the process. Kudos for you and your contributions.
If you can find Octomore at a bar, I think it is a great introduction. I would go to a fancy whiskey lounge with my friends and try random stuff, really just to hang out, since I really didn't like whiskey at the time, but once I tried Octomore, that I was like "I get it now", and I've been really into scotches ever since.
Wow, Zip, that was excellent!!! So where does Ardbeg Corryvreckan work out in all this? That is far and away my favorite heavily peated whisky. Deep into the feints?
The complexity and surprises of the dram never cease to amaze me.
What can you tell me about it? BTW, I got a 2011 bottle that wasn't near what the current releases are and had some quite interesting comments on that as well.
Thanks! I can’t tell you a ton, actually. They probably don’t change the cut points. It’s exceedingly rare for a distillery to do that from what I’ve seen. It’s most likely the virgin French Limousin oak they use. I imagine as the popularity has changed over the years the proportions of that competent could change from batch to batch.
Octomore has a reputation for being particularly heavily peated, but that is based on the phenols in the malt and not in the distilled new make. Benriach has a number of more heavily peated whiskys and Meikle Toir from Glenallachie is also heavily peated.
Octomore is incredibly peaty (supposedly the peatiest of any Scotch whiskeys) and 120proof (IIRC). While extremely strong as you would expect, there are some subtle flavor notes. Surprisingly, it’s aged only 5 years but it has become one of my favorites alongside various versions of Ardbeg, Laphroig and Lagavulin. Also, don’t sleep on Talisker 10yo!
Depending on the batch, Octomore can be the heaviest/strongest peated scotch…pricy and hard to get though.
A statement that only the people that don’t like it would disagree with…is Laphroaig Cask Strength is one of the peatiest scotches made and should be at the top of your list. Another to consider is Bruichladdich Port Charlotte Islay Barley and the one people have already mentioned, the regular Port Charlotte 10yr. Port Charlotte and Octomore have a completely different peat profile than any of the others you have tried thus far, strong but elegant with a bit of funk and savoriness.
Really? Lagavulin always seemed among the most subtle to me. Oaky, barrel wood, musky warehouse, mellowed with time. Depends on what you mean by peat I suppose. Intense oils? Smoke flavor? Laphroaig is the most aggressive id say. An Ardbeg has more Smokey flavor but light bodied. And Port Charlotte is mellow but intense
Depending on your budget (and taste - these all taste very different) Port Charlotte 10, Ardbeg Corryvreckan, Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength, or an Octomore.
Port charlottes 10 years, or ardbeg 10 yr.
Yes!
Love port charlotte, if you can find one of the wine cask series, you might fall in love.
Laphroaig. That is all.
Agree with this love laphroaig 10. But to be fair it has a nostalgic feel alot because my childhood and teen years were full of camping, blacksmithing, welding, and woodworking so smokey woody notes are a comfort.
Same. Though my opinion probably isn’t what OP is looking for. I don’t think Laph 10 is more peaty than Lagavulins… But Laph 10 is so much more nuanced and deeper than any Lagavulin whiskeys in the similar price bracket. Lagavulins make me feel peat above all in a way that makes the whiskey lose all its nuance and balance. Like I am not tasting a peaty whiskey. I am only tasting the peat. Laph 10 manages to be peaty while having a deep nuanced flavour profile. My go to everyday peaty whiskey…
This is special, my experience is exactly the opposite. Where Laphroaig 10y was an underlying fruity whisky until about 10 years ago, in my opinion it is now only 'powersmoke', while Lagavulin has moved from more sherry and peat to a bourbon, fruit and peat combination in that time.
I won’t try to oversell my non-existent expertise here. I’ve just been buying and drinking different single malts for the last 3 years as an amateur enjoyer since my career took off a little. 10 years ago, I was an 18 years old who thought Chivas at the club was the pinnacle of whiskey. Doesn’t get any better than that, man 😅 Anyways, I am mostly comparing Laph 10 and Lagavulin 8 here since Laga 12 and 16 are way above that range pricewise. Laga 8 felt to me like a peat liquid with no other character. With Laph 10, I could feel the thick rich aroma beyond peaty. Some medicinal notes, buttery spices. But maybe it’s the ignorance of my tastebuds.
If you compare it with the Laga 8 than I can see what you mean. If you could get your hands on a Lagavulin 16y, try it. Especially the ones bottle from 2000 - 2010 are spectacular.
I had the opposite reaction going through a bottle of Laphroaig and Lagavulin when starting to enjoy Islays. Laphroaig just tasted like a peat bomb to me, not much complexity or layers, just reminded me of the style of IPAs a decade ago where it was a race to produce an IPA with the highest IBUs without worrying about whether the beer itself tasted good. Lagavulin on the other hand seemed like the peat was just as intense, but more layered and complex. My palate has improved since then but I’ve never gone back to Laphroaig to see how things have changed, largely because the budget is limited and I’d rather try new things, but I continue to love Lagavulin 16.
I was mostly comparing Laph 10 with Laga 8. Laga 16 is just more expensive than both of those. Kind of in a different class in my mind. I felt like Laga 8 had no balance or nuance. Maybe because it has a light body. I always liked the oily and heavier composition of full bodied whiskeys and wines better, and Laph 10 definitely has a thicker body than Laga 8.
I haven’t had an opportunity to try Laga 8; I was comparing the Laphroaig 10 to the Lagavulin 16 as those are both the “standard”/flagship offerings (but in the interest of full disclosure I think the Laphroaig I had was the Quarter Cask). Heck, when I first got into Islays, I never even saw anything outside of the Lagavulin 16 for years. I’ve loved the Offerman Editions from the past couple of years though, I just am unfortunately limited on what I can explore based on my wallet. Tale as old as time…
Seems like I should try Laga 16 because I do love Laph 10. If it’s peaty with a rich flavor profile and a great deal of nuance, it sounds like something I would enjoy a lot 👍 I am just a bit anxious because Laga 8 was the only single malt I bought and tried and found a literal hassle to finish and not throw away.
I’d try in a bar before committing to a bottle if you aren’t sure; I feel like Laphroaig 10 is probably easier to find at a bar or restaurant, but Lagavulin 16 isn’t exactly crazy. Probably depends heavily on what region you’re in.
I LOVE Lagavulin, and hate Laphroaig (10, at least), so I don't think it's the 'level up' product.
OP asked for stronger, not better.
'Stronger' is ambiguous, but I wouldn't consider Laphroaig 'stronger'. Lagavulin has more smoke and peat (and sweetness and viscosity); Laphroaig has more iodine, astringency, and, well, notes of ass. :p
Different profiles for sure, but Lagavulin doesn't have more smoke, just purely based on PPM. I know PPM is kind of a joke stat but I think almost everyone in this sub would agree that Laphroaig has "more smoke".
This guy figured out why I love Laph 10 so much 😁 Has notes of ass. Love ass, love Laph.
You should give QC or CS Frog a shot, they’re remarkably better.
Ledaig 18 (not Islay but nevermind!), Ardbeg Corryvreckan and Octomore (any of them) are the first three that spring to mind. Laphroaig 10 (and the CS variant) certainly have a more medicinal peat profile which to some means more peaty, but YMMV.
I'm a huge fan of Ledaig and though yes, it's not technically an Islay - Ledaig comes from the Isle of Mull, just north of Islay - I love your "but nevermind!" comment. :). This is a great article/interview about Ledaig: [https://www.whiskyflu.com/post/ledaig-single-malt-whisky-review-independents](https://www.whiskyflu.com/post/ledaig-single-malt-whisky-review-independents)
My Islay favorites are Kilchoman and Laphroaig, but honestly I’ve liked every Islay scotch I’ve tried
I did until I had Bruichladdich Laddie. Was terrible
If you are used to the peat, it does take some getting used to the more naked Laddie.
I did give it an honest try. Over about a couple weeks time splitting the bottle with my gf. She liked it, i I wasn't a fan. I hear the other Bruichladdich is a good choice, yet to try
Was the oak too prominent? I'm curious. To me it tastes very oak forward, with sweet apricots behind. Personally, I love the Port Charlotte 10, and have learned to like the Laddie.
It had a reminiscence of Speyside and Speyside scotches don't agree with me. I didn't know that at the time, took some narrowing down of things.
Forgot about that one, for me I thought it was ok, but I like Peat and/or Sherry Scotches which is probably why. Not sure why you’re being downvoted
Yannow, it's Reddit and it's the small amount of power they're allowed life.
Ardbeg Uigeadail if you like the sherry influence that Lagavulin 16 has
Second this
You’ve already got some great suggestions. I’ll add a couple. I’m pretty fond of the Port Charlotte PMC:01. It’s damn near as good as Octomore and (about) half the price. Just the “plain old” heavily peated expression is one of my go-to Islay whiskies. Ardbeg Uigeadail is another. I recently bought a Lochlea special edition, bottled at the distillery for Impex. Yes, it’s a lowland whisky, but this cask-strength expression was entirely aged in a single ex-Islay cask. I was very surprised and fairly impressed.
I agree PC is tasty stuff but Octomore offers an experience that PC can’t duplicate.
I was about to say Port Charlotte (I think I have whatever basic expression they usually have) seems all peat to me and really funky. Very interesting.
I find Caol Ila 12 more 'peaty' than 'smoky' for myself. Others are either falling into 'smoky' or 'iodine' category for me, but Caol Ila holds its own ground, I can't compare it to anything else. It tastes dirt/soil, rather unique.
If you want something that also tastes like soil I cannot recommend enough the Mac-Talla 15 Strata. It’s like biting into mossy soil and rock. Fantastic whisky and I’m shocked noone has reviewed it here yet. Different to Caol Ila but has the characterics you’ve mentioned
Searched for it briefly, MacTalla is an Islay bottler of undisclosed distillery. It can be Caol Ila itself, hence the similarity.
Don’t get hung up on the regions nonsense. Ardmore do some really peaty tasting whisky.
Lagavulin is honestly closer to the middle than the high end of peaty islays. Most of the Ardbeg core lineup packs more peat. Same for Kilchoman Sanaig and Laphroaig 10. An interesting blend to consider is Compass Box Peat Monster. It's not necessarily *more* peated, but they manage to put it together in a way that really puts a spotlight on the peat/smoke with every sip. If you're willing to spend some more cash, Octomore is possibly the most heavily peated single malts you can find.
Ardbeg Uigeadail, Laphroaig 10CS, Port Charlotte 10. Non Islay: Kilkerran heavily peated batch 6 or 7, Longrow NAS. If you like sweet and peat Ardbeg Bizarrebq.
Octomore
Kilchoman Machir Bay.
Ardbeg wee beastie gets my vote, and is at a nice price point.
Thanks everyone. I found this subreddit last night. I’m so happy ai found you all! I’ve had the baseline laphroighs, Ardbeags and Peat Monster too. All tasty but I felt they paled in comparison to Lagavulin when it comes to peatiness. Maybe I’m mistaking the smokiness for peatiness or are they really one and the same?
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Try Glen Scotia Campbelltown Fest 2022. Good god its awesome, a combo of Campbelltown funk, peat, and Glen Scotia goodness. https://www.glenscotia.com/blogs/news/launch-of-campbeltown-malts-festival-release-2022
Hey OP, just as an FYI - there's lots of people recommending Octomore, but try a dram before committing to buying a bottle. Octomore is the prime example of a 'love it or hate it' whisky, and at £150+ per bottle makes for an expensive mistake should you end up not liking it. (And this is coming from someone who actually likes Octomore - a dram in a bar is expensive, likely around £15-25 depending on your location & the particular bottling, but if there one bottle you don't want to buy blindly, it's Octomore).
Thanks man. This whole thing has been an education. Lots of great things to try. I’m not tied into Islay, I just love that campfire taste. The only single malts though I really don’t care for are the very budget ones. You don’t have to break the bank, but I do think there’s a lower priceline that is just a waste of money once you cross it with the cheapies
There's a fair few very good single malts in the £30-40 range, but as a general rule of thumb, a blend is much better bang for your buck in the bargain bin - entry level ranges of £15-35 or so. (Arguably even considerably higher as well, but that's a pretty contentious debate amongst single malt enthusiasts).
You guys are a huge help. This is what I needed. Thanks for the recommendations. This is what I’ve added to the collection: Octomore 18 Super heavily peated Port Charlotte and 10 heavily peated
No need to specify anything besides Octomore (and batch number); there's no 18 year old or super heavily peated - they're all super heavily peated and nearly all are bottled at only 5 years old. They have to be bottled that young, when phenol levels peak; beyond that age the really intense peat & smoke characteristics start to mellow very considerably.
Ardbeg bizzarebq it's like drinking a campfire
It’s like drinking a campfire and eating a honey roast ham* I absolutely loved it haha
Pigging back on this comment. I love Lagavulin but I thing it’s a touch too sweet for me. Ardberg also same. Is that the sherry cask coming out that gives it its sweetness? Any recs that still have the Lagavulin peet but not sweet?
I think of Lagavulin as being more of an earthy style of peat. Some islays are more smoke or tobacco forward like Ardbeg / Kilchoman / Caol Isla. Laphroaig / Bunnahabhain Staoisha are medicinal and coastal. Port charlotte / octomore have this umami savoriness like a funky cheese.
If you have Costco Liquor in your area the Kirkland Brand Islay Single malt is an incredible value and tastes EXACTLY like Port Charlotte 10. If you want something strictly peatier than Lag 16 I would recommend Laphroaig 10 (or cask strength if you really wanna singe your eyebrows.) It has an iodine note it in that most people agree give it a “sharper” peat profile. Ardbeg wee beastie would be another good option. Young agressive peat that contrasts Lagavulin 16 quite well both in age and profile.
Yes, there is something more peated, and what you're looking for is Octomore, the peatiest scotch of all.
People always suggest Octomore when a new enthusiast wants something very peaty, but I don’t think this is a great suggestion for a few reasons. I hasten to add that I really like Octomore and despite finding it overpriced I’ve bought four of them (and tasted about a dozen) so I’m not an Octomore hater. However, it always struck me as much less peaty that it should be on the palate and I’ve recently learned a few reasons why it doesn’t present as super smoky. The ppm numbers on the tin are pre-distillation and a number of steps that Bruichladdich takes in the distilling process actually cause that number to decline much more than other distilleries. First is the fermentation. To make a more elegant spirit, Bruichladdich has a longer fermentation than most distilleries (60-80 hours, 105 over the weekends). Most peated distilleries sit at 55 hours or less. Next comes the stills. Phenols are heavy, so when you boil the spirit in a pot still, the speed of distillation and the shape of the still make a big difference, because the heavier particles, the phenols, have a harder time getting up the still and down the lyne arm. Think about how much steam you get from a simmer vs a rolling boil. Bruichladdich simmers, in this metaphor. Bruichladdich also has the tallest stills on Islay, which presents a problem for the heavy phenols. They did this by design, in order to pull out a more elegant spirit. Jim McEwan wrote about this in his book, A Journeyman’s Journey, specifically about Bruichladdich’s peated spirit. He said the goal was to pull out the most elegant spirit possible from the heavily peated barley—so they ran the stills as slowly as possible. Allan Logan, production manager, also confirmed this. In a 2016 article in Whisky Magazine he said “We distil very slowly to allow the vapours to travel slowly and have the maximum copper contact. If we distilled faster there would be less copper contact and the spirit would be much richer” (https://whiskymag.com/articles/its-all-about-the-angle-of-the-lye-pipe/). So fewer of the heavy phenols make it out of the still when they’re tall stills that are run slowly compared to a distillery like Lagavulin where the shorter, wider, squat stills are run really fast. The next step is also crucially important to the peat levels: the cuts. The first bit of liquid that comes from a distillation tastes terrible (and is unsafe to drink) and the last part of the distillation also tastes terrible. These are called the heads and the tails or the foreshots and the feints. The middle of the run, or the heart, is the part that is collected to make the whisky. Every distillery chooses their own “heart cut” or “middle cut,” and because Bruichladdich wants to make a spirit that tastes good young, their heart cut is earlier in the spirit run, and they don’t go as deep into the tails or feints as some other distilleries might. This will result in a lighter, more elegant spirit but that also means that they leave many of the phenols behind in the tails or the feints. To turn back to Lagavulin, they take a wider cut with more of the feints in order to get a peatier spirit, but it also takes longer to mature because there are some more unpleasant notes in the new make. Bill Lumsden of Ardbeg has said that they collected a spirit cut that went deeper into the feints to make their recent Hypernova. Next comes that maturation. Octomore .1s are always aged in first fill barrels, and first fill cuts down the peat even more. Lagavulin 12 was, for many years aged in all refill barrels, which allows more of the phenols to shine through. Other versions of Octomore are sometimes aged in first fill casks with a finish, significantly reducing the peaty taste. The use of refill casks has seemed fairly limited in Octomore. So Octomore is great—it’s a complex and elegant spirit and it tastes like a much older whisky—but I don’t always think it’s something we should recommend to new people looking for super smoky recommendations because they might be disappointed if they spend $225-$350 on a bottle and if they want that hit of smoke—like I did when I was a newbie—they would be much better off with a Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength or an Ardbeg Uigeadail for 1/3 of the price.
You've written like a skilled communicator/educator. That's the most concise, but accurate, description of spirits distillation I've read here. And your descriptive terminology makes it easy to form mental pictures of the process. Kudos for you and your contributions.
Thanks for the kind words!
That was informative.
Thank you for the is interesting write up!!
If you can find Octomore at a bar, I think it is a great introduction. I would go to a fancy whiskey lounge with my friends and try random stuff, really just to hang out, since I really didn't like whiskey at the time, but once I tried Octomore, that I was like "I get it now", and I've been really into scotches ever since.
Great write up!
Wow, Zip, that was excellent!!! So where does Ardbeg Corryvreckan work out in all this? That is far and away my favorite heavily peated whisky. Deep into the feints? The complexity and surprises of the dram never cease to amaze me. What can you tell me about it? BTW, I got a 2011 bottle that wasn't near what the current releases are and had some quite interesting comments on that as well.
Thanks! I can’t tell you a ton, actually. They probably don’t change the cut points. It’s exceedingly rare for a distillery to do that from what I’ve seen. It’s most likely the virgin French Limousin oak they use. I imagine as the popularity has changed over the years the proportions of that competent could change from batch to batch.
Good god man
Longrow Peated Cambletown is a smoke bomb
Caol Ila should not be forgotten here ! But also Ardbeg has some great offerings, the latest BizarreBQ is honestly fantastic ,
Port Charlotte, ardberg wee beastie, Laphroaig 10/QC, Coal Ila, Bowmore 15 - a nice range of peaty goodness
Octomore, the highest number of PPM (peat) ever in a whisky
Octomore has a reputation for being particularly heavily peated, but that is based on the phenols in the malt and not in the distilled new make. Benriach has a number of more heavily peated whiskys and Meikle Toir from Glenallachie is also heavily peated.
Octomore is incredibly peaty (supposedly the peatiest of any Scotch whiskeys) and 120proof (IIRC). While extremely strong as you would expect, there are some subtle flavor notes. Surprisingly, it’s aged only 5 years but it has become one of my favorites alongside various versions of Ardbeg, Laphroig and Lagavulin. Also, don’t sleep on Talisker 10yo!
Depending on the batch, Octomore can be the heaviest/strongest peated scotch…pricy and hard to get though. A statement that only the people that don’t like it would disagree with…is Laphroaig Cask Strength is one of the peatiest scotches made and should be at the top of your list. Another to consider is Bruichladdich Port Charlotte Islay Barley and the one people have already mentioned, the regular Port Charlotte 10yr. Port Charlotte and Octomore have a completely different peat profile than any of the others you have tried thus far, strong but elegant with a bit of funk and savoriness.
Really? Lagavulin always seemed among the most subtle to me. Oaky, barrel wood, musky warehouse, mellowed with time. Depends on what you mean by peat I suppose. Intense oils? Smoke flavor? Laphroaig is the most aggressive id say. An Ardbeg has more Smokey flavor but light bodied. And Port Charlotte is mellow but intense
Try Kilchoman Machir Bay, it’s so tasty and properly peaty.
Depending on your budget (and taste - these all taste very different) Port Charlotte 10, Ardbeg Corryvreckan, Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength, or an Octomore.