Ask the Whiskey Hotline - A Non-Smoky Scotch?
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Every week, the Whiskey Hotline answers real questions from customers seeking special releases, gift ideas, and expert recommendations. With hundreds of inquiries pouring in annually, we spotlight one question each week and share our answer in hopes it helps you, too. I need a gift idea for a friend that drinks scotch. I don’t know what she drinks, but I know she doesn’t like anything smoky. Help! Great question! We really love scotch here at the Whiskey Hotline. It’s a common misconception that all scotch is smoky, when in fact most scotch is not smoky at all. The smoky character comes from malted barley being dried or kilned with peat moss smoke. Most modern distilleries use steam heat for this, so they are not imparting smoke into the resulting spirit. Here are a few bottles we have enjoyed recently. |
Tamdhu 12 year old Speyside Single MaltLocated along the banks of the River Spey, Tamdhu has a history dating back to the late 1800’s. Surviving several changes in ownership and openings and closings, they’ve been consistently releasing their excellent single malts since their acquisition by Ian Macleod Distillers in 2011. All of their whisky is aged in first use Oloroso sherry barrels, which lends layers of rich fruit to their spirit. Their 12-year expression is an excellent introduction to the distillery’s sherry forward offerings. |
Craigellachie 13 year old Speyside Single MaltUntil recently, Craigellachie was the last distillery to use fuel oil to kiln their malt. This process lends flavors to the final aged spirit that are not seen in modern whisky. Big and oily on the palate, with an intriguing sootiness, their single malts are accessible and excellent. |
GlenAllachie 12 year old Speyside Single MaltPrior to its purchase by scotch whisky legend Billy Walker in 2017, the GlenAllachie distillery was primarily used to produced spirits for blended scotch. With Billy’s arrival, the distillery shifted their focus to elegant Speyside whiskies with interesting finishes. Now one of Scotland’s few truly independent distillery, their range of whiskies are perfect for fans of scotches with depth of flavor without the smoke. |
Bruichladdich Scottish Barley 'The Classic Laddie'Hailing from Islay, famously known for some of the most aggressively peated whiskies in the world, Bruichladdich produces a number of styles. They save their peated expressions for their Port Charlotte and Octomore lines, but the Bruichladdich expressions are made with unpeated malt. Leading the way is the Classic Laddie, a great introduction to the distillery. Focused on the sweet fruitiness of malt, the Classic Laddie has a wisp of briny coastal character without the medicinal smoke that Islay is known for. |
