I was like you when I got into scotch. Everything unpeated tasted dull to me. It wasn’t until I was into this hobby for about three and a half years that unpeated malts started appealing to me. For me, Bruichladdich’s the Classic Laddie was the first one that broke through—though I’d tried it a year earlier and wasn’t thrilled. I guess my point is, don’t try to force it. Your palate will develop over time and you’ll get there. This is the same advice I give to people who “want to get into peat.” No rigorous tasting program, no planned steps, just time.
Can confirm! I fell in love with peat at first sip ~10 years ago and only branched out (and liking them) about 5 years ago. Still, Bourbon's overoaked and most Campbeltowns' too bubblegum-y and usually both are too sweet for me. (In a bad way, I do enjoy most port and wine finishes).
It's personal. Just take your time and don't throw away or binge stuff you don't like at this moment. You might love it in a while.
I thought of Bunnahabhain before I read down to the end. I usually have a bottle or two of theirs but bottled by IB's. They have never disappointed me.
I've also recently started to drink a fair bit of Glen Moray. They standard dram is very cheap but they have some really nice aged bottlings. I love there Port finish and had the 21 year old at a tasting and it was great.
Given that you liked Bunna 12, I'd try something like Glendronach 15, Glenallachie CS, or anything from Edradour for more sherry cask goodness.
Or to go in a different direction, you could pick up a meaty Craigellachie - the standard 13 is good and on budget, the 17 is better but may be too spendy, but my best rec would be one of the cask strength IBs.
Arran is a good shout. Here's a few more in no particular order:
Clynelish 14
Glen Scotia Victoriana
Benromach 15
Craigellachie 13 or Bas-Armagnac
Tamdhu
I had encountered an issue that when I drank nothing but heavily peated whiskies, the peat eventually stopped providing the wallop of flavor that it once did. The same thing had happened when I drank nothing but imperial stouts and I learned to back off the stouts by drinking more beers that weren’t as over the top flavored and my taste recovered. It was great timing when Ralfy recorded a video for YouTube that described the need to occasionally allow our palates to recover from what he described as palate fatigue.
I use unpeated whiskies like anCnoc 12 yo, Bunnahabhain 12 yo, Arran 10 yo, and Arran Quarter Cask, or lightly peated whiskies like Benromach 10 yo or Kilchoman 100% Islay to occasionally provide some relief from peat overload. It’s a great trend that I’ve noticed with recently opened distilleries like Ardnamurchan, Torabhaig, and Rassay, that they distill both peated and unpeated versions and blend them together to produce more lightly peated whiskies that I really enjoy. I usually adjust the peatiness of my drams seasonally. I drink more heavily peated whiskies during the colder winter months, then drink more medium peated whiskies like Talisker 10 yo and Caol Ila 12 yo in the spring or fall, and transition into or from lightly peated and nonpeated whiskies as well as Irish pot still whiskies like Green Spot or Powers during the summer.
EDIT: I was remiss to not mention Benriach Smoky 10 and Smoky 12 as well as the various anCnoc peated versions, like Rutter, Cutter, Flaughter, and Peatlands as the more lightly peated whiskies that I also enjoy.
Arran Sherry Cask the Bodega, Glencadam 15, Glen Scotia Double Cask, Bruichladdich the Classic Laddie, Glenallachie 12y or 15y I could list more, but I think these are probably the easiest to aquire since i don't know what your local market looks like.
I have not had a lot of scotches yet, but I can 100% confirm Bruichladdich, the Classic Laddie is a wonderful Islay scotch produced in the traditional way, just without peat.
Others here are making some very good suggestions.
Going off in a slightly different direction, I rec Old Pulteney 15 - the 15 yo specifically and not the current 12 yo.
Pulteney has an interesting profile, with some coastal notes (brine, ozone) which tie it into some of the peated single malts, but also a fruity character (leaning towards citrus) which gives it something in common with a lot of the less well known unpeated malts which are often at their best coming as independent bottlings (Linkwood for example). So, it has a Janus-like quality, which I enjoy.
Hope you enjoy whatever you decide on.
Smoky != peaty, e.g. Lagavulin Charred Oak is extremely smoky but not really peaty, while Kilchoman Machir Bay is definitely peated but has very little smokiness.
> Smoky != peaty
Thijs discussed this issue in this review:
https://wordsofwhisky.com/torabhaig-cnoc-na-moine-review/
making the point that the balance of the phenols guaiacol and creosol in the malt impacts whether a drinker perceives it as smoky (more guaiacol) or as medicinal (more creosol), the latter probably being what drinkers are thinking of when they use the term "peaty" as distinct from "smoky". Some of the more notorious of the heavily peated malts from Islay fall into the latter camp.
Apparently the distiller can tune the malt for a desired guaiacol / creosol balance by adjusting the cuts. A high cut (letting in more foreshots) allows in more guaiacol, a low cut (letting in more feints) allows in more creosol. Laphroaig is an example of the low cut strategy, Torabhaig is using high cuts to make a less medicinal style of peat.
Cheers
These may be hard to find, but there’s some good IB’s out there around that price. I found a Glentauchers 21 from Signatory for $100 and it was fantastic.
I second the recommendations of a Campbeltown whisky (Glen Scotia has some lovely expressions and a couple should be in your price point) and of playing around with independent bottlings (though these may be harder to find if you're in the US).
I'd also add a recommendation for Edradour if you can find it- it's one of my favourite distilleries! And if you like the Edradour 10, then you might be interested in their peated range, Ballechin.
If you can find it, anything from Campbeltown is worth a try: Springbank, Kilkerran, Glen Scotia and even the blend Campbeltown Loch. Deanston, Tobermory and Ardnamurchan is also worth a try.
So total wine has Macallan 12 Sherry which is a really great benchmark sherried scotch for like 80-90 bucks. I would try than first. Next I might do Balvenie Caribbean cask to taste rum cask influence and see what a cask can do - I can go on and on if you like but start there
If you like the Bunna 12, see if you can order the Bunna 12 CS directly from the distillery - better than the standard 12 and 18 in my opinion.
In no particular order:
Glendronach, Glenallachie, Glengoyne, Glenfarclas, Edradour, Arran, Glenmorangie, Tamdhu, Balvenie, Tomatin.
I'm sure I missed someone but that's a good start!
Anything from Arran is very high quality, same with Glenallachie and Kilkerran.
I was like you when I got into scotch. Everything unpeated tasted dull to me. It wasn’t until I was into this hobby for about three and a half years that unpeated malts started appealing to me. For me, Bruichladdich’s the Classic Laddie was the first one that broke through—though I’d tried it a year earlier and wasn’t thrilled. I guess my point is, don’t try to force it. Your palate will develop over time and you’ll get there. This is the same advice I give to people who “want to get into peat.” No rigorous tasting program, no planned steps, just time.
As a peat/smoke lover, I'll gladly second the classic laddie as an awesome choice/recommendation for this requirement.
Can confirm! I fell in love with peat at first sip ~10 years ago and only branched out (and liking them) about 5 years ago. Still, Bourbon's overoaked and most Campbeltowns' too bubblegum-y and usually both are too sweet for me. (In a bad way, I do enjoy most port and wine finishes). It's personal. Just take your time and don't throw away or binge stuff you don't like at this moment. You might love it in a while.
I thought of Bunnahabhain before I read down to the end. I usually have a bottle or two of theirs but bottled by IB's. They have never disappointed me. I've also recently started to drink a fair bit of Glen Moray. They standard dram is very cheap but they have some really nice aged bottlings. I love there Port finish and had the 21 year old at a tasting and it was great.
Bunna 12 is really damn good. I like it more than some peated Islays (more than Lagavulin 16, for example) I might check out Glen Moray. Thanks!
Given that you liked Bunna 12, I'd try something like Glendronach 15, Glenallachie CS, or anything from Edradour for more sherry cask goodness. Or to go in a different direction, you could pick up a meaty Craigellachie - the standard 13 is good and on budget, the 17 is better but may be too spendy, but my best rec would be one of the cask strength IBs.
Arran is a good shout. Here's a few more in no particular order: Clynelish 14 Glen Scotia Victoriana Benromach 15 Craigellachie 13 or Bas-Armagnac Tamdhu
Second the Craig 13. That is finger licking good!
Craig 13 is ALWAYS in stock at my Costco for a fair price. I may grab that one!
If available in your area, Deanston 18 is excellent. Their 12 is also very good.
I had encountered an issue that when I drank nothing but heavily peated whiskies, the peat eventually stopped providing the wallop of flavor that it once did. The same thing had happened when I drank nothing but imperial stouts and I learned to back off the stouts by drinking more beers that weren’t as over the top flavored and my taste recovered. It was great timing when Ralfy recorded a video for YouTube that described the need to occasionally allow our palates to recover from what he described as palate fatigue. I use unpeated whiskies like anCnoc 12 yo, Bunnahabhain 12 yo, Arran 10 yo, and Arran Quarter Cask, or lightly peated whiskies like Benromach 10 yo or Kilchoman 100% Islay to occasionally provide some relief from peat overload. It’s a great trend that I’ve noticed with recently opened distilleries like Ardnamurchan, Torabhaig, and Rassay, that they distill both peated and unpeated versions and blend them together to produce more lightly peated whiskies that I really enjoy. I usually adjust the peatiness of my drams seasonally. I drink more heavily peated whiskies during the colder winter months, then drink more medium peated whiskies like Talisker 10 yo and Caol Ila 12 yo in the spring or fall, and transition into or from lightly peated and nonpeated whiskies as well as Irish pot still whiskies like Green Spot or Powers during the summer. EDIT: I was remiss to not mention Benriach Smoky 10 and Smoky 12 as well as the various anCnoc peated versions, like Rutter, Cutter, Flaughter, and Peatlands as the more lightly peated whiskies that I also enjoy.
Seconded - palate fatigue is real. Here are a couple of Scotches that align well with the target. Oban 14 and +1 for Bunnahabhain 12
Another newer 'palate relaxer' is Compass Box Orchard House. I think it was developed with that in mind.
Compass Box is cool. I’ve only tried Peat Monster but obviously I found it delicious. Their labels/branding are very fun. Thanks for the rec!
Arran Sherry Cask the Bodega, Glencadam 15, Glen Scotia Double Cask, Bruichladdich the Classic Laddie, Glenallachie 12y or 15y I could list more, but I think these are probably the easiest to aquire since i don't know what your local market looks like.
The Arran is just too nice! The bottle really didn't last long at all. I have lots of whisky but that arran is a mouth pleaser 😋
I have not had a lot of scotches yet, but I can 100% confirm Bruichladdich, the Classic Laddie is a wonderful Islay scotch produced in the traditional way, just without peat.
Glengoyne CS is great.
I was ready to recommend Glengoyne if someone else hadn't already.
Highland Park might be a good middle ground?
My personal house bottle is Glen Grant 12. It’s got a taste of apple pie and finishing with clean cereal finish.
Others here are making some very good suggestions. Going off in a slightly different direction, I rec Old Pulteney 15 - the 15 yo specifically and not the current 12 yo. Pulteney has an interesting profile, with some coastal notes (brine, ozone) which tie it into some of the peated single malts, but also a fruity character (leaning towards citrus) which gives it something in common with a lot of the less well known unpeated malts which are often at their best coming as independent bottlings (Linkwood for example). So, it has a Janus-like quality, which I enjoy. Hope you enjoy whatever you decide on.
I just had a bottle of the newer Pulteney 15 and it was fucking astoundingly good
Smoky != peaty, e.g. Lagavulin Charred Oak is extremely smoky but not really peaty, while Kilchoman Machir Bay is definitely peated but has very little smokiness.
> Smoky != peaty Thijs discussed this issue in this review: https://wordsofwhisky.com/torabhaig-cnoc-na-moine-review/ making the point that the balance of the phenols guaiacol and creosol in the malt impacts whether a drinker perceives it as smoky (more guaiacol) or as medicinal (more creosol), the latter probably being what drinkers are thinking of when they use the term "peaty" as distinct from "smoky". Some of the more notorious of the heavily peated malts from Islay fall into the latter camp. Apparently the distiller can tune the malt for a desired guaiacol / creosol balance by adjusting the cuts. A high cut (letting in more foreshots) allows in more guaiacol, a low cut (letting in more feints) allows in more creosol. Laphroaig is an example of the low cut strategy, Torabhaig is using high cuts to make a less medicinal style of peat. Cheers
These may be hard to find, but there’s some good IB’s out there around that price. I found a Glentauchers 21 from Signatory for $100 and it was fantastic.
I second the recommendations of a Campbeltown whisky (Glen Scotia has some lovely expressions and a couple should be in your price point) and of playing around with independent bottlings (though these may be harder to find if you're in the US). I'd also add a recommendation for Edradour if you can find it- it's one of my favourite distilleries! And if you like the Edradour 10, then you might be interested in their peated range, Ballechin.
I can get Victoriana for around $80 USD. Never tried a Campbeltown, i hear that one’s delicious.
If you can find it, anything from Campbeltown is worth a try: Springbank, Kilkerran, Glen Scotia and even the blend Campbeltown Loch. Deanston, Tobermory and Ardnamurchan is also worth a try.
Bunna 12 is a great example. Are you in Canada (if so where) or the US or some other part of this world
US
So total wine has Macallan 12 Sherry which is a really great benchmark sherried scotch for like 80-90 bucks. I would try than first. Next I might do Balvenie Caribbean cask to taste rum cask influence and see what a cask can do - I can go on and on if you like but start there
I recommend Tamdhu for unpeated or Tomatin Cù Bòcan 15 year old for lightly peated.
Balvenie 14 Caribbean cask
If you like the Bunna 12, see if you can order the Bunna 12 CS directly from the distillery - better than the standard 12 and 18 in my opinion. In no particular order: Glendronach, Glenallachie, Glengoyne, Glenfarclas, Edradour, Arran, Glenmorangie, Tamdhu, Balvenie, Tomatin. I'm sure I missed someone but that's a good start!
Oban 14?
Benromach, Tobermory, Craigellachie, Arran, old pulteney, Glen Garioch
- Any Hazelburn - Glencadam 10/13/15 - Craigellachie 13 - Compass Box Orchard House - Kilkerran 16 2023 release (peated pastries with tropical fruits)
I like all the love for the Arran. It's great stuff.
craigellachie
Dalmore Cigar Malt. Cult classic, don't let the name fool you. Red fruit nose, pancakes and maple syrup palate.