Peat Variation Within a Single Distillery
Many distilleries produce expressions with varying peat levels, demonstrating how this single variable dramatically impacts flavor.
Understanding Peat Levels (PPM)
Phenol Parts Per Million (PPM) measures peat intensity in the malted barley: - **Unpeated:** 0-5 PPM - **Lightly peated:** 5-15 PPM - **Medium peated:** 15-30 PPM - **Heavily peated:** 30-50 PPM - **Extreme:** 50+ PPM (Octomore reaches 300+ PPM)
Case Studies
### Bruichladdich (Islay) - **Classic Laddie:** Unpeated (0 PPM) - barley sweetness, citrus, floral - **Port Charlotte:** Heavily peated (40 PPM) - smoke, tar, maritime - **Octomore:** Extreme peat (80-300 PPM) - intense smoke, yet surprisingly complex
### Springbank (Campbeltown) - **Hazelburn:** Unpeated, triple-distilled - light, fruity, malty - **Springbank:** Lightly peated (12-15 PPM), 2.5x distilled - balanced smoke, maritime - **Longrow:** Heavily peated (50 PPM), double-distilled - robust, earthy smoke
### Highland Park (Orkney) Uses a consistent 20 PPM but varies the sherry influence, showing how cask and peat interact.
Why This Matters for Ambassadors
Understanding peat variation helps you: 1. **Guide customers** from unpeated to peated styles progressively 2. **Explain terroir** - same water, same stills, different malt = different whisky 3. **Demonstrate distillery range** - not all Islay is smoky, not all Speyside is unpeated
Tasting Exercise
Compare unpeated and peated expressions from the same distillery side-by-side to isolate peat's impact while controlling for other production variables.