Need recommendations for a peaty islay.

For a start, check out the expressions from the other Islay distilleries...

Bowmore - 15 Darkest

Bruichladdich - Port Charlotte, Octomore

Kilchoman - Machir Bay, Sanaig

Caol Ila 12

Bunnahabhain 12 (18 if your budget allows!)

Also, try some of the Highland Park expressions for a softer peat infusion - the 12, 18 and 21 are all excellent, but the 18 & 21 are at the higher end of the budget spectrum.

Don't restrict yourself to single malts - there are some excellent and reasonably priced blends: Compass Box Great King Street and Peat Monster, Famous Grouse.

Many of the Speyside distilleries are now relaeasing peaked expressions- Benromach Peat Smoke is one that I can think n of off the top of my head.

You might also see what is available from the independent bottlers. They will have single cask expressions of the Islay malts that, while in the house style of the distillery, are each unique. The SMWS has some very interesting selections.

@tfahey1298 A bunch of those you mentioned are very minimally peated, if at all. He's looking for serious peat as I understand his post. Ledaig 10 is a well peated alternative to the Islay offerings. But anyone who can't get enough peat from Islay isn't trying hard enough. Try some Lag 12 or Laph cask strength. Bowmore Darkest, on the other hand, is eminently avoidable IMO.

Cheers.

If you had Lagavulin 16 and it wasn't peated, I think you had an off bottle, or someone lied about what they were serving you. Caol Ila is fantastic IMHO. If you like Laphroaig and you're on a budget, Islay Mist 8 is a great budget blend made with Laph. I've never had them, but the Octomores have a great reputation. Isle of Jura has some smokier, peatier offerings. Johnny Walker Double Black supposedly includes more Islay malts, but I've never had it, so I can't comment. Best of luck.

@BlueNote Got to agree with you about the Bowmore 15 Darkest.

If one is looking for a heavily peated Bowmore I recommend Laimrig 15 YO or Tempest 10 YO. The 12, 15 and 18 are definitely worth missing, for sure.

@Nozinan I think Bowmore 12 is decent for the price, but it won't blow anyone away. It's certainly no peat/smoke bomb, though.

@OdysseusUnbound

I have a number of thresholds I do not cross. The only whiskies I have bought for > $150 (and that was one special bottle for that price and the rest much lower) were either for someone else or as a result of a trade-in.

On the other end, I've tasted and enjoyed bourbons as inexpensive as $20.

But I detest (a strong term but it fits), and this is in no way directed towards you, terms like "decent for the price" or any suggestion that quality and price somehow make up for each other.

Bowmore 12 is $65, and the 18 is $127 at the LCBO. I bought Booker's at about $65 and a number of great quality CS whiskies at lower than $127, at the same retailer.

Tempest was originally sold here about a year and a half ago for $70 (only $5 more), then It went to $80 and it's now listed at $90 (no bottles). If I had none I would buy it at any of those prices.

When the 15 was available it was about $95, and the Laimrig (also 15 YO) just under $100.

I wouldn't drink the Bowmore 12,15,18 at any price. And even at their prices there is always something better.

@Nozinan I'd kill for some Laimrig. Haven't seen it out here on the wet coast for years. I agree that Bowmore Tempest is well worth it. The 2015 Laph Cairdeas was a big peat winner for me too. The only way I could salvage the Bowmore 12 that a friend gave me was to add 10 ml of Ardbeg 10 or Uigeadail.

If you really want a peated whisky you should get a bottle of Ardbeg Supernova. Or a bottle of Octomore. These are the best ones you can possibly get. Do not care about money just enjoy the ride.

Laphroig Quarter Cask is great. Ardbeg Uegadail is also excellent. I don't care for Lag 16. My bottle is boring, overly sweet and not that peaty. It's not bad but i'd go for the Laphroig if you want a nice peaty kick. And it's 48% I believe.

@OdysseusUnbound He's not crazy, my bottle of lag 16 was very underwhelming, sweet, and doesn't have much peat smoke. Boring is the word.

@wiliek I find it fascinating how different people perceive the same whisky. I love Lagavulin 16, Talisker 10, and Ardbeg 10. In terms of "peatiness" I would rate the Ardbeg as the most peaty of those. However, I really don't enjoy Laphroig (the 10 and quarter cask that I've had) - I find it too medicinal for my tastes. I would rate Lagavulin as quite low in terms of medicinal notes. I think there is also a lot of misunderstanding between the ideas of peaty and smokey. How about a Kilchoman for something different?

@Nozinan No offence taken whatsoever. I get what you're saying. I still like Bowmore 12 and I'm fine with others not liking it. Tastes always differ, right? It doesn't matter if the price is "right" if you don't like what you're drinking.

Lag 16 is a campfire in a glass. Glorious. I find Ardbeg 10 A bit thin by comparison. Ardbeg Oogie is good stuff.

I love Octomore. Have a bottle of 7.3 right now. Complex.

Not a huge fan of laphroig QC.

Bowmore Laimrig is good as well.

Yet to try Kilchoman.

@Hewie, there is no "same whisky" unless you are drinking from the same bottle at the same time. I've had stupendous Lagavulin 16 yo more than once, but the one bottle I bought is exactly as described by @casualtorture about his bottle. I do not trust Lagavulin 16 to buy another bottle of it for this reason. For the last six years my "A Tale of Two Uigeadails" review became, and remains, the most commented upon review on Connosr.com precisely because it noted how VERY DIFFERENT two batches of "the same whisky" can be when produced in two different batches bottled forty-some days apart. Nowadays any review of Uigeadail. Ardbeg 10, or most peated whiskies posted without batch information is likely to have some member quickly ask which batch it is. Why? Because the batches are so different.

@OdysseusUnbound I agree with you that tastes differ. I'm actually envious of those "supertasters" who can get so much flavour out of malts that I find completely uninteresting. They do exist for real.

@BlueNote even the Laimrig 4, the weaker of the 2 I've tried, is definitely worth having. If you're ever in Toronto...

@Nozinan I'm also envious of supertasters. I've not got that gift, although I feel I've got a pretty decent palate for picking out flavours. Or maybe I've just had more practice with whisky than most of my friends.

@Victor I fully agree re:tasting and batch variations. Lucky for me, every bottle of Lagavulin 16 I've bought has been wonderful. I fully acknowledge the emotional connection I have more than likely affects my perception of it. Oban 14 is the chameleon for me. I won't buy it anymore. I've had bottles I've loved and I've had bottles I was certain had been emptied and filled with water by a malevolent whisky thief.

@OdysseusUnbound That happened to me once at an upscale establishment and A'Bunadh.

Octomore 7.1 and 7.3 are $250 each which is a bit more than I care to spend. Laimrig and Tempest are nowhere in sight. I'm not opposed to buying a bottle of Talisker or Lagavulin though the bottle variation does concern me a bit. I've bought some bourbon and scotches that had some bottle variation but the essence of the product was still there. They were still quite drinkable but they lacked that little extra complexity or balance that would make them truly enjoyable. The laga I had was truly disappointing though and not drinkable. If the Talisker wound up being an overpriced Old Pulteney again I could live with that.

Ledaig 10 and Caol Ila look interesting and the latter has the brininess I'm looking for.

Uigeadail I was talked out of even though it was only $8 more than the standard Ardbeg. I was told it was sweeter(more sherry influence) and less peaty. Plus Laph and Arbeg are $100 out the door which is a nice price point for me. But Laph and Uigeadail should be close to that mark. There's also Corryvreckan to consider.

For Laphroaig there's the standard 10yo, the QC and the triple wood but most people seem split on the latter two and just say to stick with the standard 10yo for a peat bomb.

@wiliek Can't go wrong with the Ardbeg 10. Corryvrekkan is over rated IMO. I'd opt for Uigeadail. For me it has a nice sherry/peat balance and is quite a bit cheaper. The Lag 8 year old anniversary edition has plenty of youthful flavour and is not a bank breaker even here in Vancouver.

Cheers.

@wiliek, Octomore x.1 should satisfy your need for big peat with a big finish. The x.2 are usually wine cask finished. I'm primarily a bourbon and rye guy and I've yet to met an Octomore I didn't like.

@wiliek , the big fun discussion here has lots of good ideas for the future. For your immediate needs, I suggest this be your short list, if you can get them:

•Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength

•Octomore x.1

•Talisker 57

•Caol Ila, an independent bottle at cask strength

I'm a real fan of smoke and peat, so I'm partial to Islay. Depending on what your tolerance for price, you can try Compass Box Peat Monster (75.00 Canadian), Ardbeg dark cove (200.00 Canadian) Bruichladd Octmore at 240.00 Canadian. Lots of peat in them.

...and then he was gone...I find it difficult to help someone score a whisky when the goal posts keep moving.

@wiliek, wherever you may be, tell us your your geographical location(s) as well as your price range and you will receive no shortage of good information on this site....and for Peat's sake, what are you doing sampling whisky in a bar?

@Victor Dark Cove 55% is on closeout here for $80. Should I get 2 bottles or more?

@newreverie Never had it, but as far as I'm concerned ANY Ardbeg for that price is worth stocking up on. But I'm biased when it comes to Ardbeg. I pretty much refuse to buy NAS scotch (I've posted my reasons before; nothing to do with taste) but Ardbeg would probably get a pass from me. Selective outrage? Inconsistent ethics? Probably, but I'm only human.

@newreverie If I had access to that whisky at that price I would definitely buy 2 for myself...

@newreverie, that is a great whisky at a steal of a price. I do definitely recommend getting it, times two.

@newreverie @newreverie Those are words of wisdom.

@paddockjudge

I'm in the Southwest US and travel mostly around AZ,CA and NV. For price I'd like to keep it at under $100/bottle. And yes I've given up sampling Whisky at a bar. Too much variation and I really question if I'm getting what it claimed. Hence I've gone to purchasing bottles even though it is a greater commitment.

I'll be honest that bang for the buck is important and I do like spending $100 and getting two bottles if at all possible. I decided to buy Talisker Storm and Lagavulin 16 as the store had them for $103 OTD. The Lag is a smooth easy drinker but I feel it's a bit mute or lacking something.I still like it's smooth easy drinking nature even if it's somewhat boring as others have stated.

The Talisker Storm was quite surprisingly good. It may not be well balanced but I like how it develops in stages. Initially sweet then building to a strong pepperiness that fades to the somewhat oily briny sweetness. Then the peat builds and it all fades away in a nice long finish. The pepperiness is a bit too intense but otherwise I like it especially for under $40. I may have to pick up a bottle of Talisker 10 to see how it compares.

Maybe it's due to the summer months but the peat bombs of the standard Laph and Ard aren't as satisfying. I think I'd prefer the peat on the back end of the palate. I may still pick up some Ugedail as it was pretty cheap.

I'm not sure where to go from here. I've tried some Macallans and Glenmorangies but I didn't care for them. I want some noticeable peat influence that comes with Islays. Maybe Caol Ila is next. The guy at the liquor store said I should try a Glenfarclas though to see if that has sufficient smoke/peat. Not sure which year though the 12 is the cheapest at $50. 17 is $100, 21 is $130 and the 25 is $150. I'm leaning towards the maybe the 21 or 25 mostly because of the age vs price.

@wiliek So that guy at the store probably didn't understand what you were looking for, or he simply knows nothing about Scotch. If you're looking for peat, don't look to Glenfarclas.

I agree with your Caol Ila decision. I would recommend getting a cask strength independent bottling if you can find one.