Seeking abuse

Intense only in the sense of peat/smoke? I guess this would this 140ppm Octomore. Also very expensive.

connosr.com/whisky/islay/…

Oh well, the Octomore Comus has 167ppm. Ludicrously peaty...

connosr.com/whisky/islay/…

Wow- what does ppm stand for? (still somewhat new to all this- and sorry about the "dislike", I was aiming for the thumbs up!)

@squidboy007 ppm= parts per million of phenols (smoky chemical compounds). The number only means something relative to other numbers - like 50ish ppm for Ardbeg.

So the octomore stuff is 3x peatier/smokier than Ardbeg. The bottle search begins...now.

@squidboy007 ... because you asked ... "... what does ppm stand for?"

whisky-news.com/En/reports/…

Patrick's paper is technical. Don't let that dissuade you from reading every word. He offers a nice overview of why peat is used, where it comes from, and what effect it has on the barley and the whisky. For me, understanding this sort of behind-the-scenes stuff is far better than the marketing goo meant only to persuade you to toss down your cash for a bottle of whisky.

@squidboy007: More often than not, a more intense experience can be had with younger Whiskies at Cask Strength. Lagavulin 12yo. for me is more interesting, has freshness, what I call 'attitude' and great length (persistence) when compared to the excellent Laga' 16yo. I also find Laphroaig 10yo. Cask Strength to be more enjoyable than the standard 40% abv. bottling.

I have seen Whisky called Cask Strength at anywhere between 48% and 62% abv. I think of Cask Whisky as being 57.1% abv. and above for younger Whiskies. Of course, old Whiskies can get down to 40% abv. and even lower depending on storage; at which stage it can no longer be called 'Scotch'.

Good Luck!

It's a good question. I too prefer the Islay greats. I know peat and smoke are often considered the same but are in fact different and i am trying to find smokey peat monsters to quench my thirst. I am looking at getting an Octomore in the near future. If you get one please let us know what you think.

I'd like to hear about the Octomore as well. I've had the Bruichladdich Barley 2006, and I find it to be quite good. I also had a small dram of the Port Charlotte Peat Project, and though I thought it was a worthy scotch I found I preferred Laphroaig and Ardbeg.

The Octomore, though... Very intriguing. The only variety available locally is the 0.51. I wonder how it compares to the other bottlings?

@squidboy007

The Octomore, despite the high PPM phenols is far from a "punch in the face" peated whisky.

Bruichladdich's tall stills produce a highly refined and complex spirit where the peat becomes complementary and more subtle instead of the main event, so to speak. A "peat monster" it aint.

Something like the Ardbeg Supernova, or a cask strength Lagavulin or Laphroaig at 3 or 4 times less phenols PPM might be closer to what you're looking for in terms of "apparent" peat and smoke impact.

Also, I wouldn't discount the 'Smokehead" or "Big Smoke" range, particular the cask strength versions of the latter which I've heard good things about.

@systemdown Very interesting. I must admit that your words make me want to try the Octomore more, not less. :)

As for the Smokehead, I've sampled a couple drams of it. It's definitely got that 'punch in the face' aspect to it. I found it lacked a bit of complexity, though. Due to the ridiculous pricing I have to deal with here, it costs about the same as Laphroaig Quarter Cask, which I find to be markedly superior. It's not bad or anything, I just found myself wanting a bit more.

I highly recommend Octomore for "in-your-face" Islay, but also a couple from the Port Charlotte series (PC6 and PC7). I've also had some great Kilchoman's as well as some heavily peated Bunnahabain's that blew me away.

I'm always finding myself disappointed after an Octomore. They're constantly making claims about the highest ppm but I don't find them three times peatier than other whiskies. It's a scientific figure but the impression of raw peat is also related to other elements other than just the ppm.

Young Ledaig, young Laphroaig or Kilchoman are other suggestions for intense peat. Also, try to find independent bottlings, preferably single casks, as distilleries don't want to disturb customers in their official releases and therefore ditch the extreme casks.

Oh yes, Port Charlotte can be really fierce as well!

@squidboy007 if you wanna a great peat... you have to taste Ardbeg Supernova 2009!

Thx for the replies, all!!! Very excited to some some bottle hunting.

do* some bottle hunting. Also, I have tried the Port Charlotte AnTurasMor (reviewed it.) Despite it's lack of depth, I did admittedly love the peat!

@WhiskyNotes "Three times peatier" is very hard to define. Taste is very subjective, we all know, And a scale isn't always linear. Like for sound measurement, 100db isnt 2times as loud as 50db. But to get a clue how peaty something is, the ppm is quite useful in my opinion. Ofc more ppm isn't everything. But it's a nice fact to merchandise a dram.

Just opened my bottle of Bunnahabhain Toiteach the other night. An excellent expression and a heck of a 'peat punch'!