The Peat is on, the Peat is o-on!
Re-peat-ition is the mother of learning. Yeeears ago, back in the middle ages, in 2013, we launched a Tasting Box full of Peat heat. PhenolHeads went wild and even the non-believers bowed to the Almighty Peat upon tasting the drinks from the Tasting Box.
The heat was on for a Re-peat, so we've composed another Peat symphony and went the distance with the selection from around the Globe – from Scotland, Japan, to India, Wales and France. A spectacle full of smoky, sulfuric, medicinal, seaweedy and rich delights created when Peat smoke hits The Barley.
The Peat spectrum knowns no middle ground, and no mercy is spared on your palate, it's like Blue Cheese, a polarizing affair, either you hate it or you absolutely adore it. You know what they both have in common? They pair/go well together. Hint, hint.
Let’s remember Shirley Bassey shall we:
They say the next big thing is here,
That the revolution's near,
But to me it seems quite clear
That's it's all just a little bit of history re-Peating.
Cheers,
Team Flaviar
SmartAss & Trivia
1) Scotland is in large part covered by a 1 meter thick layer of Peat, formed in the past few thousand years. Peat (also known as turf) consists of moss, tree roots, dead animals and soil that has become tightly compacted over time. The moors grow approximately 1 mm per year.
2) In Scotland Peat was first used as an energy source because when burnt it delivers a large amount of energy (heat) in a short time.
3) After the Peat is cut the 'sod' is then left to dry in the open air for around two-three weeks.
4) In the Whisky industry Peat was first used for heating the pot stills, however that didn’t lead to the smoky taste of a Whisky - that comes during the drying process, when the malted barley is dried over Peat heated fire. The Peat is burnt underneath the malted barley to stop its germination, helping preserve the malt for storage.
5) Phenols, the molecules responsible for the Peaty/smoky/rubbery flavours are broken down as a Whisky matures, thus Peaty flavours are slowly lost as Whisky matures.
6) The level of phenols is controlled by the length of time that the barley is exposed to the smoke, the amount of smoke produced, the type of Peat used and the humidity of the barley. Phenol levels are measured in PPM’s, which stand for Phenol Parts per Million. Distilleries always have the same PPM values for their malts in order to remain consistent.
7) Most commonly the recorded PPM values are measured before the distillation, not in the final spirit. During ageing the phenol levels drop 30-70 per cent from the original measurements.
8) The World’s most Peated Whisky is Bruichladdich’s “Octomore 6.3” with a monstrous PPM value of 259!
9) Scotland grows more Peat than it is dug out.
10)
Cocktail aficionado? Here’s an exciting Peated Whisky cocktail recipe:
Smokey The Bear by
Stuart Fritz / LAB Soho, London