How to find non peated whisky easily

@Brian_Martin  

Peat is defined as follows: "Peat is an organic material in the form of wetlands, which cannot be produced, under the acidic conditions of the marsh. Conditions favorable for the growth of dense mosses. especially mosses. When plants die, they don't decompose. Instead, organic matter is deposited and accumulated into peat by the lack of oxygen in the swamp."

On the other hand, wetlands and peatlands are both referred to as bogs, peatlands, and marshes in some countries. is the result of the decomposition of plants, consisting mainly of mosses. Water moss is a genus of mosses (Bryophyte) with hundreds of species color tunnel. It is a small plant about 1-2cm tall with a main stem that can reach 5-10cm (reproductive organs) growing in moist and flooded soil. The percentage of water in the stem is very high, up to 70%. Under a microscope, you can see chlorophyll floating in the water. Because mosses grow in wetlands, decomposition occurs under anoxic (anaerobic) conditions and so the carbon trapped in the vegetation cannot release CO2. The end product of this decomposition, the slurry is black because the charcoal has a high carbon content, which gives it a good whiskey taste.

@Brian_Martin 

The first step is understanding what you don't like about peated whiskies. Do you not like smoke, or do you not like the earthy, medicinal notes? Different cuts during distillation decide which end of the spectrum they will be in. Laphroaig has more medicinal notes, and Ardbeg is smokier, for example. This distinction is important because some unpeated whiskies will still have smoky flavors, such as Clynelish.

Unfortunately, as some distilleries do both, you will have to get familiar with the distilleries to find out what is peated and what isn't. Islay and Island whiskies, such as Talisker, do favor peat. But Bruichladdich and Bunnahabhain have unpeated expressions. Bruichladdich Classic Laddie and Islay Barley are two examples, as well as Bunnahabhain 12. The Classic Laddie and Bunnahabhain 12 are fantastic whiskies for those who don't want peat.

The Highland and Speyside regions generally don't use peat as often, but that is not 100%. Benromach is a Speyside that uses peat. Lowland whiskies such as Auchentoshan and Bladnoch are another option.

Regarding gifts, I would suggest finding distilleries you like and telling your friends to choose them as gifts. This way, if you want to explore, you can select which bottles to get for yourself and know that your friends will buy you something you're likely to enjoy.

My favorite unpeated distilleries are GlenDronach, GlenAllachie, Clynelish, and Balvenie. Craigellachie is another worth trying. I would also recommend Highland Park. They are peated, but their peat is sweeter and gives a honey character to the whisky, plus they don't overdo it. They're nowhere close to the likes of Islay, and their whiskies are of very high quality.

Hopefully, this helps. Please respond if you have any questions or want to know my thoughts on a specific distillery or release.

Justin Boyer

Master of Scotch

@Brian_Martin