Peaty & Smoky

Legendary to those who have come to crave Scotland's big peat-flavoured drams, Ardbeg achieves a balance between surging smoke and peat, with notes of fresh tar, medicinal carbolic soap, wood smoke and a distant coastal element. The palate has a surprising sweetness and an oilyness that is offset by a fruity, citrus hint. One of our most popular Islay malts.

A fine drop of Ardbeg bottled at high strength. A marriage of Ardbeg from bourbon barrels and sherry butts which gives a sweet and smokey finish to this malt. Uigeadail is the loch from which all Ardbeg's water flows. This year's batch of Uigeadail has more sherry influence and is an absolutely stunning whisky. Nose: the nose is deep and rounded chocolate caramels and barley sugar combine with dates, raisins and smooth sherry notes. The sweetness gives way to malted honeycomb, with flowering currants emerging through the smoky sweetness of a well-fired fruit pudding. Taste: Sweet, chewy and oily with a silky mouthfeel. Initially sweet, revealing fruit cake and treacle. This is followed by barbecued or honey roast food with the slightest hint of olives. Finish: Again long, both sweet and dry with honey, treacle and a trace of lint.

Torfa is the all new peated expression from Portsoy's Glenglassaugh distillery. Sweet fragrant bonfire smoke swirls around delicate fruit sweetness and touches of sea salt, with marzipan (wedding cake icing) and tart redcurrants in the finish. An exceptionally good peaty whisky, it is well suited for those who enjoy malts from some of Scotland's smokier west coast distilleries.

Peated whiskies from the Highland's of Scotland remain rare these days, and this new expression from Glenturret shows this style very well - a mingling of earthy peat smoke and vanilla, fruity sweetness combine in a unique way. The oak spices and mild smoke are balanced together alongside a slightly salty and heather-herbal tang. This is the newest 2022 Release.

Fresh peat smoke mingles with a soft cooked stone fruit sweetness, with layers of smoke. On the palate there is a surge of tangy peat smoke and a vanilla pudding sweetness that leads to a sea-side, peppery smoke. The barley, oak and peat come together in harmony on the finish which is long and peaty. Consistently one of the best whiskies to come from Islay, made by the Wills family at Rockside farm.

Sanaig is predominantly bottled from Ex-Oloroso Sherry Hogshead casks, and this influence is most obvious in its rich colour and flavour. The aroma is classic Kilchoman, with soft cooked fruits, full-bodied peat smoke with citrus notes and a lingering sweetness. A perfect balance of peat smoke and fruity sweetness, somewhere between Machir Bay and Loch Gorm.

One of the most famous whiskies in the world, Lagavulin's 16 year old has a lovely balance between a tarry blast of peat smoke, touches of sweet honey and rich dried fruit that lingers on to a dry and mellow smokyness - a true Scotch whisky classic from Islay.

Laphroaig's 'Quarter Cask' is named after the use of casks that are a quarter of the size of the normal barrels used at Laphroaig. These small casks are only used at the end of the normal maturation period for a short amount of time due to the intense influence they have on the whisky. The hallmark Laphroaig smoke and pungent peat reek are joined by striking notes of coconut, vanilla and banana. An exceptional Laphroaig that is bottled at 48% to further enhance the flavours and aromas.

The famous Laphroaig 10 year old, one of the most iconic single malt whiskies in all of Scotland. Renowned for its earthy, medicinal, richly peaty-smoky flavour, it is an evocative dram that with just one sip transports you to its home on the inner Hebridean island of Islay.

The peated whisky made at the Tobermory distillery is called Ledaig (pronounced le-chig) and this new whisky comes from the 'smoky' selection of the discovery series by Gordon & MacPhail. On first sniff, there is a rich plume of peat smoke, becoming tinged with a rubbery (burnt tires) notes and cured smoky meat. To taste there is a weighty, oily sweetness, with vanilla and stewed fruits coming through, followed by lime and a kick of peat smoke again, and chocolate in the finish.

Scarabus is a new single malt whisky selected by Hunter Laing & Co. who marked the opening of their new Ardnahoe distillery on Islay. While the origin of this whisky is a mystery, it is a big dram, offering an aroma of sweet syrupy pears, white raisins, freshly roasting peanuts and plumes of peaty smoke. A briny sea-salt and leathery note adds depth, again nutty then spiced with mace and vanilla on a very oily and viscous mouthfeel. A fantastic new arrival and a must try for fans of Islay's oily, coastal peat smoke.

This is the same reliable Talisker of old in a rather smart new bit of packaging. The only distillery on the Isle of Skye, Talisker produces a unique style of whisky, half way between a gentle, salty, smoky West Highland malt and something smokier from Islay. Robust and punchy, peat plays a leading role on the nose, backed up with honey, leather and spice and a touch of chili-pepper heat.

The Port Askaig series personifies the Islay style, bottled from an undisclosed distillery on Islay. A soft sweet and peaty 8 year old is matured entirely in refill American oak, it is fresh and vibrant on the nose with lemon oil, salty sea spray and a soft ashy smoke. More citrus on the palate with smoked fish and that classic Islay peat reek. A honeysuckle sweetness and slight herbal note balances out this dram before leading into a long barley sugar finish. A great introduction to the world of Islay malts this lovely dram is accompanied by two branded Glencairn Glasses.