Describing Peat

OK then, I'll start us off. The first bottle of single malt I ever bought was Laphroaig 10. I loved it at first, but then it became a struggle to finish the bottle. I enjoy most peated whisky, but I'm not such a fan of the Laph peat profile. Laphroaig: I'd agree with typical descriptions of it being medicinal, reminiscent of band aids and antiseptic. It smells very chemical to me. Talisker: a vegetal peat, leafy, savoury / umami flavours, contributes to the leather and tobacco notes, less smoky to my senses, some tarry notes. Springbank: has some similarities to Talisker peat - similar vegetal type profile with tobacco and leather. Minimal medicinal notes. Almost no 'smoke'. Benromach: more like a cold campfire. At the other end of the spectrum form Laphroaig - no medicinal component. Gentle wood smoke. Tomintoul with a Peaty Tang: I wasn't a fan of this bottle - like cold cigarette ash, very ashy and slightly medicinal, not my cup of tea! So there's a few to get us started. Do you agree or disagree? What other terms or imagery do you use to describe the different peat profiles?

Earthy, vegetal, astringent.

@jeanluc Yes, Earthy!

I'm a huge Laphroaig fan. After Lagavulin, Laphroaig may be my favourite distillery. I find Laphroaig's peat medicinal on the nose, but I find it quite ashy on the finish.

Lagavulin: The nose is campfire smoke, vegetal, iodine peat. On the finish: briny, wood ash, vegetal peat.

Caol Ila: much "higher" and "lighter" pitch on the smoke. More like leaves smoking than big, thick, smoky logs. I find the peat more "citric".

Talisker: Briny, peppery, smoky peat.

Ardbeg - always described the 10yr's smokiness as "billowing."

Glendronach peated: like cold ash, almost bitter - not a warming smokiness - harsher than the likes of Benromach or Highland Park.

My favorite "effect" that I get from good peated whisky is freshness! I love that feeling of inhaling air that's clean, fresh, and has never been breathed by any living thing and comes new-made from snowy mountains high beneath a dome of stars, or from shores of silver far away washed by seas of foam.

(Apologies to my favorite author for lifting that language.)

Many—but not all—peated whiskies deliver that feeling. A good version of Lagavulin 16 has it in spades.

@MadSingleMalt Is that Tolkien? I think Ardbeg 10 has that same quality of cleanness and freshness. It's the one that finally turned me onto peat about 13 years ago after resisting for 5 or 6 years before that. Once hooked, hooked for life.

@MadSingleMalt I still prefer the fresh campfire of lagavulin to just about any other peat I've encountered - although the subtle , heathery peat of highland park 18 is glorious too. Have y

@BlueNote yeah I agree with you here. Unfortunately, I don't use any preserver and my bottle of Ardbeg 10 that I opened at Christmas has lost much of its fresh peat appeal that I loved - it's now gone quite flat. I think the combo of the citrus notes with the tarry, resinous peat gives a real brightness to this one.

@BlueNote : Yep, that's Tolkien.

@Hewie My bottle of Talisker 10 went pretty flat when it was down to the last third and had been open for well over 6 months. I should look into the preserver as I have a lot of bottles open.