For Peat's Sake

The smoky whiskies that arise from Scotland's island of Islay are fan favorites 

- JACK BETTRIDGE

Cigar lovers are well aware of the time and patience necessary for a handmade smoke to be enjoyed. Between growing, curing and aging, it may take years before the leaves are ready to be set aflame. Well, Scotch whisky makers may indeed think, “What’s the hurry?” The process that gives their spirit its tell-tale smoky notes began more than a millennium ago.

The smoldering flavors in Scotch whiskies come from peat, partially decayed vegetable matter born in a bog, a type of wetland created by poor drainage. After thousands of years of decomposing, drying out and compacting, peat can be dug up and burned. Blessed with more than four million acres of peatlands, canny Scots have long used it for fuel, particularly in the barley-drying process required for making Scotch. Being carbon-rich, the burning blocks of peat waft phenols, which attach to the grain in a loving, long-lasting embrace. Their insistent flavor makes it through fermentation and distillation to become part of the final product.

From blended Scotch to the single malts of the five (depending on who’s counting) distilling regions of rugged Scotland, almost all of the country’s whiskies to some degree taste of peat. Usually, it comes in mere wisps of smoke, but one region, Islay, is known for its overwhelming smoky malts. These whiskies are among the most beloved by Scotch connoisseurs.