Origin: Scotland
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Gradation: 46%Abv
Agering Casks: Ex-Bourbon
Chillfiltered: No
Added colouring: No
Owner: Fox Fitzgerald
Average price: € 40.00
Official website: www.mrpeatwhisky.com
Vote: 82/100
Remember Peat’s Beast? A single malt from an unknown distillery in Scotland, which made a flagship of its strongly peated nature.
Back in the day it was made by Fox Fitzgerald, and never met with much favour among aficionados despite (in the writer’s opinion) being a more than honest whisky with peaks of excellence.
Now the bottler is at it again, always with a highly peated malt and always from an undeclared distillery, with cartoonish packaging and an over-the-top communication with masculinist veins (where it isn’t clear whether the total disregard for inclusiveness is the result of a precise choice or simple short-sightedness).
Undeclared age, sufficiently high alcohol content not to affect the naturalness of the whisky, single malt all in ex-Bourbon, more than affordable price: at the end of the day, we don’t care about packaging and communication, the important thing is if we like what we find in the glass.
Tasting notes
On the nose, the expected river of peat emerges, iodized and smoky, with spicy traits of nutmeg and cloves in which citric notes of grapefruit and blond orange are found, together with pineapple, pear, bread, brine and slight traits of vanilla. Marine and vegetal in length. Not as aggressive as the presentation would lead you to expect.
On the palate, it confirms its far from explosive nature, where spices and peat are backed by a clear coastal soul that imbues aromatic herbs (thyme, dill), yellow fruit, citrus, meaty notes between fish and grilled. Liquorice and aniseed make their way to the bottom, on a light body but not overly so.
The finish is not very long with bitter notes on burnt wood, chinotto, liquorice, salt.
A whisky that is certainly not aimed at the seasoned drinker who has tarred his mouth with peated drams, but offers an honest foray into the world of smoked and coastal scotch, joining Big Peat, The Ileach and the aforementioned Peat’s Beast in offering a cheap but decent access to this genre, which is so successful over here in Italy.