Whenever I think of peated whiskies, I immediately think of Islay.
Years ago I spent a weekend on the Inner Hebrides isle, witnessing the so-called ‘peat reek’ process in action at Laphroaig and claiming my own square foot of a peat bed.
I was blown away by the scenery on offer at Caol Ila, a distillery you can reach in minutes from the ferry terminal of Port Askaig, and will never forget sipping whiskies late into the night with the sun still glaring in the sky.
We also chanced on a little-known (at the time) distillery called Bruichladdich, which had started to develop a reputation for producing ‘progressive’ expressions on an island that is otherwise rooted in time and tradition.
It was with Bruichladdich in mind that I visited the Soho Whisky Club for a first taste of Bladnoch Distillery’s new Peated Collection.
Established in 1817, Bladnoch holds claim to being the world’s oldest privately-owned whisky distillery and is the southernmost distillery in Scotland, commonly referred to, or so its marketing materials say, as the ‘Queen of the Lowlands.’
Having been mothballed before 2015 with weeds growing out of the roof, Australian businessman David Prior has breathed new life into the distillery alongside Master Distiller Dr. Nick Savage, formerly of The Macallan.
The new Peated Collection features five expressions designed to act as an entry to peated whisky for people who traditionally don’t give two figs what phenolic parts per million (pppm) is in their glass.
Each has, in Dr Nick’s words, a “bounce” of peat which is balanced out by sweeter notes.
In Alinta, up first, the peat is barely detectable, with moreish notes of rum and raisin ice cream doing the heavy lifting and showcasing some of the properties traditionally associated with mainland peat from Aberdeenshire, which is sweeter than its island counterparts.
Alinta Reserve, meanwhile, derives its flavours primarily from the amontillado casks it has been stored in, bringing a lovely nougat mix of sweet, nutty and dry flavours. It was met with nods of approval around the room and was my personal pick of the five, which surprised me as someone who usually plumps for bolder, earthier flavours.
The remaining members of the collection are taken from rum, bourbon and sherry casks, and continue the theme of delivering peat accessibly.
Smoked apple pie best encapsulated the rum cask expression, while the bourbon was more smoked custard. The sherry cask appeared to come out on top in a straw poll among delegates at the tasting, and it was the first in the series where the peat took more of a front seat.
Dr. Nick, of Yorkshire roots, compared it to Parkin cake, although few in the room got the reference. As a fellow Yorkshireman, it certainly wasn’t lost on me, especially when bonfire night is only around the corner.
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