Blog

Peated Whisky: Why the whisky tastes of smoke

May 23, 2023

To peat or not to peat? That is the question. Because while some whisky lovers find 'peat' – or the taste of peat smoke – to be pure pleasure, others cannot stand smoke in their whisky.

But where does the smoke actually come from, and what does it mean for a whisky to be 'peated'? And which Scottish regions are known for using peat in their production? You can find out more below.

What does peat mean?
When a whisky is peated (smoky), it means that the malted barley used in its production has been dried over a peat fire. Peat generates a lot of smoke, and this process therefore imparts a characteristic smoky taste and aroma to the malted grain, known in whisky circles as peat.

Traditionally, it is the Scottish regions with sufficient peat available that use peat in their whisky production. The Islay region is primarily known for heavily peated whiskies, but Island whisky, Campbeltown, and some Highland whiskies also use peat smoke.

What does ppm mean?
How smoky is a smoky whisky? The degree of smoke taste in whisky varies, ranging from a mild hint to a roaring bonfire. The amount of smoke in a whisky is indicated in ppm "phenol parts per million". And now it gets a bit technical, but 1 ppm means there is one milligram of phenol per kilogram of malt. The higher the ppm, the smokier the whisky tastes. Lightly peated whisky has 2-10 ppm, while more intense peat is around 50-60 ppm.

Whisky & rummagasinet recently listed a number of examples of ppm values in whiskies from various well-known distilleries.

For instance, Bunnahabhain (1-2 ppm) and Bruichladdich (3-4 ppm) are on the milder side, while whiskies from Bowmore (20-25), Lagavulin (35) and Caol Ila (38) offer moderate smoke. Laphroaig (40-43 ppm), Port Charlotte (50 ppm) and Arbeg (55 ppm) add more smoke, while Ardbeg Supernova (100 ppm) and Bruichladdich Octomore (>130 ppm) top the smoke scale.

If you want to try other whiskies than those on the list, you can look for the ppm indication on the bottle to know if you practically need to be a smokejumper to approach the whisky, or if it just has a hint of smoke. The rule of thumb is: the higher the ppm, the more smoke. Keeping this in mind, you can make a better choice next time you select whisky for yourself or others.