Collection: Peated whiskeys

Peated whiskeys get their characteristic smoky flavor from peated malt produced by burning peat during the drying of malted barley (kilning).

Historically, as a locally available heating fuel, peat was used exclusively for kilning and drying malted barley and would have produced very heavily peated malts. 

Today, peat is no longer used as a heat source in malting, but to add a distinctive flavor.

Peat smoke is controlled in malt kilns by decreasing oxygen so that it smokes, rather than burns, and peat smoke sticks to the malted barley to allow the desired level of peating.

Peat smoke contains hundreds of compounds that add to the taste and aroma of the finished whisky.

It is common to speak of phenol levels expressed in ppm to explain the degree of peating in whiskies. 

For example, Caol Ila and Laphroaig contain 35ppm of phenols, Port Charlotte 40ppm, Lochindaal 50ppm and Octomore (the most peated whiskey in Scotland!) 80 to 200ppm or even more!