What's new

Smokey Scotch suggestions

Owen Bawn

Garden party cupcake scented
The thing I love most about peaty scotch is that it transports me any street in any rural town in Ireland on a cold and wet November day towards evening. I can hear my shoes on the wet footpath and I can smell the turf fires from 100 hearths and I'm headed in for my tea.

Surprisingly, although the barley used in Irish is traditionally roasted over a turf fire the smoke is diverted away from the grain.
 
The thing I love most about peaty scotch is that it transports me any street in any rural town in Ireland on a cold and wet November day towards evening. I can hear my shoes on the wet footpath and I can smell the turf fires from 100 hearths and I'm headed in for my tea.

Surprisingly, although the barley used in Irish is traditionally roasted over a turf fire the smoke is diverted away from the grain.

Can I please have this entire memory transplanted into my own brain? You just painted a wonderful picture.
 

Doc4

Stumpy in cold weather
Staff member
Can I please have this entire memory transplanted into my own brain? You just painted a wonderful picture.
1597095216138.png
 
Laphroaig 10 is the winner for me. It’s hands down the smokiest scotch I’ve tasted out of all of the supposed smoky scotches on the market. The first time I tried it, I remember thinking it tasted like liquid campfire smoke in the best way possible. I find that it’s also the best value for your money as it’s usually available in the $40 range (although I suppose prices could vary depending on vendors and locations).

Talisker Storm would be runner up. It’s a little pricer at $10 - $20 more. However, it’s slightly more complex, while maintaining a smokey profile somewhat comparable to Laphroaig 10.

If price were no object, I think I’d have to go with Lagavulin 16. It’s very smooth and much more complex with notes of dark fruit and smoke. The younger ones (like the 8 year for example) aren’t bad but aren’t worth the lower price. Unsurprisingly, they noticeably lack the richer flavors and deep complexities of the 16, leading me to believe that you’re better off going with Laphroaig, Talisker or just paying the extra for the Lagavulin 16. I can sometimes find it on sale around the $70 range. For that price, it still may not be a regular purchase but it’s absolutely worth every penny.
 
Anybody ever had Islay Storm? Apparently it's an Islay single malt priced below many blends, and my brother-in-law never shuts up about it. He loves the stuff.
 
Laphroaig 10 is the poor man's Lagavulin 16. My financial reality does not allow for $100 bottles of scotch.

And I'm not against blends either if they can approach the smokiness level of Islay single malts. I just haven't really found one that nails it yet.

Compass Box's Peat Monster and Douglas Laing's Big Peat are two blended malts worth their weight
 

Tirvine

ancient grey sweatophile
Laphroaig 10 is the poor man's Lagavulin 16. My financial reality does not allow for $100 bottles of scotch.

And I'm not against blends either if they can approach the smokiness level of Islay single malts. I just haven't really found one that nails it yet.
Ardbeg is comparably priced at my Total Wine.
 
Recently, a friend brought a 1.75 liter plastic bottle of Scotch
over to his dad's and as I was drinking it
I realized that ever since I became old enough to enjoy Scotch,
I've never had a Scotch that I didn't like;
it's only that there are only some Scotches that I like better than others.
 

JCarr

More Deep Thoughts than Jack Handy
Of all of the heavily peated/smoky single malt scotches, Lagavulin is my favorite. But my overall favorite single malt is Glenfarclas 12yr...preferably poured over two ice cubes in a tumbler.
 
Top Bottom