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Peated whisky

Peated whisky gets its smoke from malted barley dried over peat. This page lists bottles labelled peated, from peated sub-brands, or from distilleries whose usual style is peated. Most peat tags here are inferred from house style, so check the bottle page rather than treating the tag as a label statement.

Islay names include Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Octomore, but the list also includes Highland, Island, Irish and Indian whisky. A ppm figure measures phenols in the malt before distillation, not smoke in the glass. For a narrower list, see heavily peated whisky.

For the process, see Whiskipedia on peat in whisky. Prices are the best current in-stock offer from the UK retailers we check (how we compare prices).

98 bottles in stock, with the best current price from the UK retailers we check.

Learn more on Whiskipedia

Questions

What is the most peated whisky?
Bruichladdich’s Octomore range is the usual answer. Octomore 15.3 was made from malt at 307.2 ppm. That figure describes the barley before distillation, not exactly how smoky the bottled whisky tastes. Distillation and maturation change the phenol content, so use ppm as a production specification rather than a flavour guarantee. Whiskipedia explains phenols.
What does ppm mean on whisky?
It means phenol parts per million in the malted barley before distillation. Distillery specifications are around 50–55 ppm for Ardbeg, 45–50 ppm for Laphroaig’s own malt, 36 ppm for Lagavulin and 25–30 ppm for Bowmore. Much of the phenol content is lost during distillation and maturation, so these figures do not directly measure smoke in the glass.
Is peated the same as smoky?
Usually, but not exactly. In Scotch, peat is the usual source of smoky flavour, while casks and char can also add smoky notes. The ppm figure and perceived smoke do not line up neatly. Our peat tag tells you that a bottle is peated, not how smoky it tastes; check the bottle details for any stated ppm figure.
Where does the peat tag on this page come from?
It comes from the label or retailer listing where peat is stated. Otherwise, it comes from a peated sub-brand or the distillery’s usual house style. We mark house-style tags on the bottle page. A distillery can release an unpeated bottle, so treat an inferred tag as a guide and check the individual bottle rather than assuming every release follows the house style.