things like, “yum,” and “wow.” Islay (pronounced EYE-luh) is
one of Scotland’s several whisky producing islands but, since it is
home to eight distilleries, it is considered its own region. It boasts
big, smoky, peaty flavor profiles from such whisky giants such as
Laphroaig, Ardbeg and Lagavulin. So what exactly is peat? It is a
layer of partially decayed and compacted vegetation cut out of the
ground, dried and burned to roast the barley prior to fermentation.
“A small amount of water can
‘open up’ a scotch, shortening
the alcohol burn and releasing
different flavors.”
Though it does produce some fantastic unpeated whiskies such
as Bruichladdich’s The Laddie 10, it is most well-known for the
medicinal, smoky, earthy flavors of peat. These are undoubtedly
some of the boldest flavor profiles around and tend to not be as
immediately accessible as some of the other regions. The key to
enjoying these whiskies is not so much “getting past” the peaty
flavors; iodine, smoke, tar, Band-Aid, etc., as it is getting beyond
them. It is the harmony and balance between these ancient, earthy
flavors, and the other flavors of citrus, toffee, vanilla, and influence
of the sherry and/or bourbon cask that make these whiskies so
enjoyable. A few of my favorites are Ardbeg Uigeadail, Laphroaig
Quarter Cask and Kilchoman Machir Bay.
The final region of Scotch production is an unofficial one in the
eyes of the Scotch Whisky Association, but it’s good enough for me;
the Islands. Any island other than Islay producing whisky fits into
this category and it serves as a good reminder that the geographical
regions are not married to their typical flavor profiles. Island
whiskies come from Jura, right next to Islay to Orkney, nearly part
of Scandinavia in the north. Perhaps the most notable is Talisker
from the Isle of Skye. It is peaty in a noticeably different way than
the majority of Islays. It has more of a light saltwater air brininess to
it, which is really quite delicious.
Thanks for joining me on this quick tour of Scotland’s whisky
producing regions. I hope you’ve got an idea for what whisky you’d
like to try next in your journey, and have a little bit better idea what
it is you’re drinking when you do. Next I’ll offer a few opinions for
getting the most out of your whisky drinking experience.