From Robb Report · Jonah Flicker · · 1m
Most Scotch Isn't Smoky, Octomore Is
The peat myth, the campfire extreme, and how Bruichladdich's new Octomore 17 series keeps heavy smoke drinkable.
In brief
The peat myth, the campfire extreme, and how Bruichladdich's new Octomore 17 series keeps heavy smoke drinkable. Smoke is the exception in scotch, not the rule, and the skill is making a big peat whisky you actually want to finish. Originally reported by Robb Report.
The peat myth
Plenty of drinkers assume smoke is what makes scotch scotch. That belief has it backwards.
“There are many who still believe that all scotch whisky is smoky”
Most of it is unpeated
The majority of scotch carries no smoke at all. Peat is a style choice, not a rule of the category.
“the majority of scotch is unpeated, and therefore not at all smoky”
Then there's the extreme
A handful of single malts go far past a hint of smoke and land somewhere closer to standing in the fire.
“taste more like burning campfires of blazing peat”
Big smoke is easy to ruin
Piling on peat is simple. Keeping the whisky enjoyable once you have is the actual trick a distillery has to pull off.
Octomore pulls it off
Bruichladdich's new Octomore 17 releases show again that a seriously smoky malt can still be a pleasure to drink.
The key point
Smoke is the exception in scotch, not the rule, and the skill is making a big peat whisky you actually want to finish.
