Need recommendations for a peaty islay.

@wiliek, there are very few bars in which I would order any whisky other than Maker's Mark or Jim Beam Black, but there are some bars known for their excellent selection and the careful maintenance of their stock; don't shun all bars.

You can also monitor items on sale by subscribing to store flyers in your region(s). Some retailers will make samples available in-store. Both are great ways to become familiar with retailers and regional trends.

I think you would enjoy Talisker 18 based upon your experience with Talisker Storm. Ardbeg Uigeadail is a fine Islay whisky and one which I enjoy, a lot.

Glenfarclas will NOT give you a PEAT hit. Should you decide to try a Glenfarclas, look for a cask strength or a single cask at a higher abv.

Amrut peated and possibly Amrut Fusion might give you the right combination of peaty goodness and value.

I wish you success in your quest.

@wiliek If you are looking for peated drams , Springbank 10 yo and Springbank 12 cask strength are also great options. I am especially fond of the 10 yo. It is a great whisky and it is not expensive. I even love it in the summer time. I love it anytime.

@paddockjudge @wiliek

Amrut Peated Cask Strength is a blast indeed. Almost all Amrut whiskies are impressive You won't regret buying any of them.

Hmmm... starting to feel an urge to have something Amrut... Or Springbank 12 CS...

@paddockjudge @wiliek

I am sipping Amrut Peated Cask Strength right now thanks to @paddockjudge . It is delicious. It is about half past nine in the evening in the Netherlands. I love its taste of mango and liquorice . Yeah, it has peat in the aftertaste. @wiliek do yourself a favour and grab a bottle of this epic whisky.

@Nozinan It sure is the right time for Amrut or Springbank. Cheers

@NamBeist @wiliek having just written a review of Springbank 12 cask strength I can highly recommend it. Not Islay peat but so satisfying - rich and rounded with wonderful briny flavours.

@Hewie Islay peat is good (though I would say there are many variations), but sometimes I feel that because so much peated stuff comes from that one island, we forget about or relegate to second class all the other peated whiskies out there. Springbank / Longrow, Amrut, and even some speysiders tend to be overlooked.

Nope, there are plenty of as good peaty varieties to keep us entertained and interested, and many non-peated spirits that should be appreciated for their own merits.

Cheers!

@wiliek, I second @tfahey1298's recommendations of Kilchoman Machir Bay and of the Bruichladdich Port Charlotte series. Sounds like you need a few face-to-face whisky buddies so that you can broaden your experience w/o the expense and uncertainty of buying samples at bars and restaurants.

@Nozinan Perhaps I should have stated Islay type peated whiskys. I've tried some other whiskys that only had the slight hint of peat/smoke. I'd like more pronounced peat that seems more typical of the islays. I'm open to any peaty whisky though.

Unfortunately it seems only the standard Amrut Peated is available around here and not the CS expression. I'm aware that CS expressions tend to punch up the characteristics so I'm wondering if I should settle for the 46% ABV.

Springbank 12 CS is fairly available at $90. I'm wondering if the Springbank 10 at $50 would suffice though. Same with Talisker 18 at $150. At this point in my relatively young experience would I be better off buying Argbeg Uig, Springbank 10 and say Talisker 10 or Caol Ila for $150 instead of just a single product. Do the older expressions differ vastly in profile from the younger ones? So if I like the 10yo version I can buy the 18yo which should resemble the 10 but have added qualities do to the extra aging?

$150 is the upper limit now for my budget. I may opt to buy the Talisker 18 but I've also seen a lot of people recommend Highland Park 18. It may not be as peated but I want to try it out due to all the enticing reviews I've read.

Does this approach make sense of trying to find the profiles I like before buying the more expensive aged version? The more products I taste the better my palate could become and allow me to appreciate older aged products? Or perhaps I need to try the older expressions as they have more complexity and character to further develop my palate and appreciation? Knowing what you guys know now is there any particular approach you'd recommend a novice take?

@wiliek

There are lots of good questions there. The answers depend on a number of things.

First, do you want peat-heavy only, or are you up to trying other profile?

If the answer is peat, Springbank, Caol Ila, or any other Islay, Talisker.... Etc. highland park has a different peatiness to it.

If you are considering unpeated stuff to broaden your experience, the Amrut 46% is a worthy whisky. I have tried a miniature and liked it. I think I scored it an 88. Separated from its overbearing CS sibling it is good in its own right.

One thing to remember, if you're starting out, is that what you like may change with time. Don't buy too many readily available bottles for your "to try" list, because you may find your tastes change as you learn more. By all means sock away things you like or things you may never find again, but don't put yourself in a situation where you have a few bottles you're never going to get to or through because your palate has surpassed them.

@wiliek I misread.... You have access to the Amrut Peated at 46 %. I haven't tasted that in years, though I remember liking it. I think I have a mini somewhere. If I do I'll see if I can do a review in the next few weeks. It's probably like the unpeated, good on its own but overshadowed by its sibling.

@wiliek Glenfarclas is all sherry all the way. Great stuff, but not what you are looking for if you are a serious peathead.

Octomore 7.3. Game. Set. Match.

@nooch it's usually over $100 (although I just got it for $100 CAD on sale), but if you're a peat head it's fantastic.

@wiliek, you are asking people to read your mind and formulate your taste which does not yet exist because you have not yet had the experience to have the opinions. Words will not suffice. You need to taste the whiskies.

If you do not want to buy bottles or bar samples, then you need to make friends. And as a good friend you need to have some good things to offer them in return.

But for goodness sake, if you are just going to do this on words on the internet, just go out and buy some Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength, Ardbeg Uigeadail, and Talisker 10.

Whisky experience is NOT a mental process. Just DO it. Then share your observations of actually having had the experience.