Smoke, peat, medicine... more, or just different?

Yes, it's a perennial subject. But that's OK.

I'm personally not one who perceives a difference between "peat" and "smoke" in peated scotch. But many do, so you might get better answers than mine. Nonetheless, here are my suggestions:

•Talisker Distiller's Edition: Pretty peaty, but softened by the sherry casks

•Any Longrow Red: Ditto, except red wine casks

•Corsair Triple Smoke: Rather different stuff, smoked with things other than peat

•Balcones Brimstone: Totally different stuff, smoked with some Texan scrub oak or what-have-you, tastes like BBQ meat

I found the UK bottling (@40%) of Benriach Curiositas to have more of a sweet smoke profile than a medicinal peat style. Ardmore as well, maybe?

I haven't tried it yet (but have a bottle) of Benromach peat smoke. Couldn't say for sure but imagine that to be less medicinal and more smoke driven?

Tends to be the Islay ones that are more medicinal but that's a generalisation.

As you say, folk perceive things differently with smoke/peat. I crave the medicinal side of peat and find Lagavulin for e.g. to not be medicinal enough; and more about the ash tray smoke!? I'd not recommend Ardbeg ;)

@RikS For me, Benromach offers the biggest smoke without peat. I also find that very malty whisky have a smoke that is really integrated. Some Ben Nevis are like that.

The second possible answer to your question is to find some non medecinal peat. Benriach has a few. I am thinking of Septendecim and Heredotus Fumosus. I don't agree with @RianC , Curiositas is medecinal (sorry @RianC). There is other Speysiders that offer a forest peat. You should try one to see if you like it. I would go with the Septendecim, I love it and so do Serge from Whiskyfun who gives it an 89.

I also think you will not like the Talisker, but I do like the American suggestions of @MadSingleMalt .

@RianC We get a 46% version of Curiositas in Canada. Its excellent value in a non-Islay peated offering. I like it quite a lot.

I did try a Talisker skye today. Not extremely interesting overall, but interesting in this context. I found it to have quite a bit of smoke, clearly more than the Benromach, and also a rather nice peppery element which I think is something one may feel for on certain days, but I got nothing of that medicinal feeling that I had from the Lagavulin. Does this make sense?

@BlueNote - I know, you lucky sods! I bet the extra abv makes a big difference to that one.

@RikS, you might enjoy Ballechin 10. Thats peated Edradour matured in both sherry and Bourbon casks. No medicinal notes to detect, do let it sit for a while. Oxidation really helps this one!

@Alexsweden thank you, I'll definetly check that one out. I've read some of your comments and reviews on here and you certainly know your whisky! I tasted Talisker skye the other day and was surprised that I thought it was rather Ok. Plenty smoke and pepper, but felt no peat/medicin compared to eg Lagavulin. What you think about spribgbank?

I find springbank 12 to be very mild, albeit not medicinal, in the peat departement. Still haven't opened my 12 CS. it's a great distillery though, the longrow RED port distilled there is one of my favorite whiskies.

@Alexsweden Longrow Red seems very interesting - alas, it seems it's been discontinued and no longer available.

Yes but if you're lucky you might find someone who has it in their cabinet

@RikS, the Longrow Reds are an ongoing series. Each of the past ones is indeed "discontinued," but only in the sense that each one was a one-off. There's a new current one, and no doubt there will be more down the road.

Or, if anyone knows that the whole series is being discontinued, please pull the emergency whisky alarm and let us all know!

@Alexsweden I feel lucky, so I'll try that!

@MadSingleMalt I'll keep an eye out for that. I've checked my usual suspects: Master of Malt, The Whisky Exchange and Amazon, and they're all out...