Top 9 Peated Single Malts

Lagavulin 16 Year Old - 43% 70cl - A much sought-after single malt Scotch whisky with the intense peat-smoke that's typical of southern Islay - but also offering richness and a dryness that turns it into a truly interesting tipple. The 16 year old has truly become a benchmark Islay dram from the Lagavulin distillery. Very thick and rich. On the palate we can find a mouthful of malt and Sherry with good fruitiness, but also a wonderful sweetness. Big, powerful peat and oak.

Arran Machrie Moor Peated - 46% 70cl - Machrie Moor is named after a peat bog on the island's west coast where, according to the legend, the giant Fingal kept his favoured pet dog. Now inducted into The Arran's core range, this whisky continues to capture the island's rugged and myth-strewn landscape: peat smoke and grass are lifted and given life by vanilla and a touch of sharp citrus.

Stalla Dhu Cask Strength Caol Ila 11 Year Old - 60.4% 70cl - What’s not to be loved about this Cask Strength independent bottling of Caol Ila? Aged for 11 years and released at the impressive abv of 60.4%, the palate offers way more than what you would expect for a fairly young and barrel proof whisky. Lightly salted sweetness, white pepper notes, citrus, light notes of toasted almonds towards the finish, balanced by warming barbecue ember notes. Rich, peaty taste, lingering to a satisfyingly sweet heat. One of our favourite picks!

Glendronach Peated Port Wood - 70cl 46% - Following up its first peated single malt Scotch, GlenDronach Peated Whisky, the distillery has now created this delightful peated malt, which was finished in Douro Valley port pipes. Bottled without an age statement at 46% ABV, the GlenDronach Peated Port Finish is made in reference to the nineteenth century tradition of importing casked port into Scotland. A crisp flavour profile brings steamed oranges and cranberry sauce notes, with peach cobbler, stewed barley, a little honey and an earthy smoke lingering.

Longrow Peated - 70cl 46% - Longrow offers those who enjoy a heavily peated whisky the chance to enjoy a lingering smoky taste that travels through the senses like the smoke billows from a kiln. This beautiful Campbeltown release from Springbank distillery delivers and incredibly well balanced, rich and creamy flavour profile, with a slight medicinal hint. The smoke is always present and washes over the palate in waves.

Connemara Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey - 40% 70cl - Connemara is rare amongst Irish whiskey; its hook being the smokiness associated with the malts produced by their neighbours Scotland. It's a style of whiskey that had died away in Ireland after the 19th century. It's said that when the Cooley Distillery started up in the late 1980s, it had no plans to make a smoky whiskey, but at some stage peaty malt was bought and run through the stills with fantastic results. It's a lovely malty whiskey with Cooley's signature honey and pear notes as well as a beautiful waft of smoke.  

Ardbeg Corryvreckan - 70cl 57.1% - Powerfully peaty and very satisfying, Ardbeg's Corryvreckan is what happens when the distillery of Islay's Kildalton Coast aims to make a whisky with a particularly medicinal style than its usual expressions. Aptly named after a nearby whirlpool, Corryvreckan is an intense dram that any peated whisky lover would enjoy! Cream, spices, tingling, fresh fruit, medicinal and clementine notes with orange peels on the palate. On the finish we can find more medicinal notes, smoked meats, peat, chilli, and the characteristic saltiness.

Laphroaig 16 Year Old - 48% 70c - A mellower expression of their famous Islay scotch, slowly aged in ex-bourbon barrels. The additional years spent resting in American oak lends notes of leather and vanilla, which complement the signature rich and smoky flavours that Laphroaig is famous for. A perfect example of how their peated whisky ages and matures over time, this dram is an ideal choice for the long evenings of late summer as they transition into the cosy nights of fall. Originally released as a limited run in 2015 to celebrate their 200 year anniversary, this was so well-received that they’ve decided to release another batch of this limited edition Scotch.

Bruichladdich Port Charlotte 10 Year Old Heavily Peated Whisky - 70cl 50% - This Port Charlotte 10 year old has been conceived, distilled, matured and bottled on Islay alone. Bruichladdich being a young team with deep-rooted values, and an ambition to make the ultimate “Islay” Islay whisky. A whisky made by people not software, watched over every day of its maturing life by those who made it, born of a community with a vision and a mission to kick start a single malt whisky revolution. On the palate there is a delicate and soft style. The balance of flavour is superb as the smoke wraps around the sweetness drawn from within the oak. Coconut, vanilla custard, lemon honey combines with smoked oysters and sun-baked salty sand.