Non-Islay peated whisky

'Better to stick with the Islays' would be a foolish thing to do, @pr0mille. How are you to discover all those jewels out there then? Example: what about the Campbeltowners like Longrow, Springbank, ... Try them, you'll be surprised at how good they are. And if you want to turn this thing around: try Caol Ila 8 Year Old, Unpeated Style, the Islay malt that does not use peat. Now there is a great dram!

@markjedi1 I took delivery of a bottle of Springbank 12 cask strength recently, having sadly finished my Springbank 10. To not try these wouldn't just be foolish, it would be a crime!

True, but you would be disappointed if you expect heavy peat from a Springbank. I personally like the peated BenRiach, especially the Arumaticus Fumosus and the Authenticus 21yo. Also, be sure to discover Connemara, the peated Irish.

@WhiskyNotes You are absolutely right. I just get carried away when anyone mentions Springbank, I've got a soft spot for that distillery!

Don't get me wrong, I most certainly do want to try all the lovely stuff out there but was just looking for a nice peat dram distilled outside of Islay. I've never had the pleasure of meeting up with Campbeltowns Springbank but can enjoy the Glen Scotia (12y). The Benriach is from now on on my 'Wish to taste' list. Thanx! More suggestions?

I would certainly try the Connemara, the peated Irish malt from the seemingly infallible Cooley distillery. I've actually just written a review of it that you can see on my profile. A little sweeter and a touch softer than most of the Islay malts (partly down to being slightly less strong at 40%), but a very fine dram and fantastic value to boot.