Ask Bry BY BRY SIMPSON
Edition 4 of ASK BRY brings a very good question about peat from Emily Haynes in Squamish BC:
Hello Mr. Simpson, Forgive my ignorance as I am a novice whiskey drinker. I attended a whisky festival in January of this year and was introduced to Scotch for the first time. I normally enjoy bourbons. My friend Samantha warned me that we would be tasting a peated whisky and that I probably would not like it. In actuality, I absolutely and divinely loved it. It was something called the Wee Beastie. While I was on vacation in Calgary in July, I was also brave enough to go into a bar and ask for more peated whiskies to try. I was quite perplexed as to the different types of peated whiskies. They were all very different. I looked online for some information on peat and the whisky process, there was way too much and quite a few different opinions it seems. They say never read the internet. My question is about the process of peating the whisky - How can peat give the Islay whiskies such a difference in personalities and why did the Wee Beastie taste the strongest like a camp bonfire? - Emily H.
PPM can range from 0 (unpeated) to over 300 (Bruichladdich’s mega fun and intense Octomore range). Although not all peated whisky comes from Islay, as a starting point it’s not a bad idea to compare some of the famous smoky whiskies.
• Bowmore is around 25ppm • Lagavulin and Caol Ila get the same barley at 35ppm • Laphroaig is (usually) around 45ppm and, • Ardbeg is typically around 55-60ppm
Once we’ve got it in our heads what to expect in terms of strength of phenolic flavours from a distillery, you can then look at each expression from that distillery. In theory the longer the whisky is matured in a cask, the less phenolic flavours will be present. This is because the phenolic flavours are some of the first to disappear during maturation. In regards to Ardbeg Wee Beastie, being only 5 years old and barley spec of 55ppm you can expect this to be punchier with smoky flavours than Bowmore 12 years old with its barley spec of 25ppm. But that’s just about how much smoke to expect, what about what TYPE of smoky flavours? This is where is gets super exciting, if not a little harder to determine: If we describe smoky flavours in different flavour camps (shout-out to Reece Sims), we can look at notes which are either; medicinal, woody, savoury, herbaceous, or maybe coal smoke. It’s not 100% accurate but some would say that you get more medicinal smoke from Laphroaig, more herbal/floral smoke from Caol Ila, and more woody/campfire smoke from Lagavulin. This is pretty subjective though so it’s a good idea however to take notes on the types of smoky flavour you pick up from each distillery, and use that as your personal guide. And one more thing, there’s also claims that where the peat is sourced can determine what type of smoky flavour you should expect in the whisky, I don’t agree with this but maybe that’s a discussion for another time, for now happy drammin’!
It is then matured in a combination of ex-bourbon barrels and sherry casks with a particular influence of Oloroso and Ruby Port, which adds rich, fruity notes and spicy character. This expression is further elevated by employing a new and exciting element - the addition of cream sherry casks (a combination of dry and sweet Sherries) that adds a level of complexity and special touch to an already high-quality spirit. Since the Redbreast 18 deserved a spectacular send off, we were then invited to finish our evening in a very special way. In nothing less than a set right out of Bridgerton, our last supper together was the perfection of comradery, a divine meal and the harmonies of an accompanying string quartet. It truly was the magical part of Ireland that I had heard of for many years. This trip not only opened our minds and hearts to Irish whiskey, but for me truly managed to reinforce the sense of tradition, quality and care that is passed on from generation to generation.
Much late on that night as twilight descended we found ourselves in the hotel lobby. Souls warmed by the sweet amber liquid and wrapped up in tight embraces; we were buzzing from the unforgettable evening, wishing it to never end. From that moment on the whiskey that created this amazing experience that will forever bind us as part of what I hope Redbreast 18 will become – a long standing Irish Whiskey tradition from the land of ancient lore and emerald hills. *Redbreast 18 is available in British Columbia Canada, across the USA as well as the UK, Australia and additional countries in Europe and Asia.
Dear Emily = That Wee Beastie really is a monster of a dram eh? Peated whisky is just fantastic, and there’s so many different styles within the category to choose from. A good, but not perfect indicator of how ‘smoky’ the whisky can be, is to find out the phenolic parts per million (PPM) of the barley used by the distillery. Each distillery will request barley of a certain peated specification to which then they will create their whisky from. It is important to note that the PPM disclosed is usually only what the spec of the barley is, not the overall PPM of the whisky in the bottle. This is because the PPM will drop at each part of the whisky making process. Rarely do you see distilleries disclose what the PPM is in the bottle.
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the whisky explorer magazine
the whisky explorer magazine
FALL 2024
FALL 2024
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