What does 'peaty' mean exactly?

[Clair de Lune]

peat·y
of, pertaining to, resembling, or containing the substance peat.

peat
A substance of vegetable origin, consisting of roots and fibers, moss, etc., in various stages of decomposition, and found, as a kind of turf or bog, usually in low situations, where it is always more or less saturated with water. It is often dried and used for fuel.

In front of me I have Cragganmore 12yo, Glenlivet 12yo & Balvenie 12 yo. I know Crag and Livet are similar - light bodied and citriousy. Balvenie is a whole different animal where it's far fuller bodied.

The liquor store owner told me Balvenie is more 'peaty'. Based on definition, I suspect it means earthy, clayish, 'gamey' and smokey. Is that what people mean by peaty when describing taste?

 

[Eli]

I would suspect that it means earthy more than gamey or smokey. Peat is also very acidic, perhaps it means a note of that?

<--- knows nothing about scotch

 

[lxskllr]

Yea, more or less. Balvenie isn't particularly peaty though. For something distinctly peaty, try Laphroaig. It's not to everyone's liking, but it's one of my favorites.

Edit:
To more directly answer your question, think earthy smoke.

Edit2:
Critical grammar mistake

 

[ZOXXO]

It tastes like dirt.

 

[CallMeJoe]

Originally posted by: ZOXXO
It tastes like dirt.

At least it's good wholesome Scottish dirt.

 

[silverpig]

Earthy. Lagavulin is a very peaty scotch. A lot of Islay single malts are very peaty and smokey (and wonderful).

Highlands are usually lighter and taste like caramel and/or citrus to me.

Also: I just finished listening to Clair de Lune on my iTunes rotation 🙂

 

[Clair de Lune]

Originally posted by: silverpig
Earthy. Lagavulin is a very peaty scotch. A lot of Islay single malts are very peaty and smokey (and wonderful).

Highlands are usually lighter and taste like caramel and/or citrus to me.

Also: I just finished listening to Clair de Lune on my iTunes rotation 🙂

A fellow single malt drinker and listens to Debussy? Good man. :thumbsup:

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: Clair de Lune

Originally posted by: silverpig
Earthy. Lagavulin is a very peaty scotch. A lot of Islay single malts are very peaty and smokey (and wonderful).

Highlands are usually lighter and taste like caramel and/or citrus to me.

Also: I just finished listening to Clair de Lune on my iTunes rotation 🙂

A fellow single malt drinker and listens to Debussy? Good man. :thumbsup:

Well Liszt is my favourite, but yeah I like Debussy as well.

And I just realized I'm out of scotch 🙁

 

[I Saw OJ]

I thought it was just referring to the fact that they burn peat to create heat for the distilling.

 

[lxskllr]

Originally posted by: I Saw OJ
I thought it was just referring to the fact that they burn peat to create heat for the distilling.

Coal and other methods are used to heat the stills. You get the peaty character when the barley malt is dried over peat fires. Some scotch isn't peated, and it has a lighter character.

 

[Colt45]

They smoke the malt over peat, so that it tastes like moss.


Which is why I drink Irish whiskey.

 

[lxskllr]

Originally posted by: Colt45
They smoke the malt over peat, so that it tastes like moss.


Which is why I drink Irish whiskey.

Connemara was a peated Irish whiskey. It was ok, but the Scots do that thing better. I don't know if it's still made or not.

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: Clair de Lune

Originally posted by: silverpig
Earthy. Lagavulin is a very peaty scotch. A lot of Islay single malts are very peaty and smokey (and wonderful).

Highlands are usually lighter and taste like caramel and/or citrus to me.

Also: I just finished listening to Clair de Lune on my iTunes rotation 🙂

A fellow single malt drinker and listens to Debussy? Good man. :thumbsup:

I came here to post: try an Islay malt.

there's your answer. I don't like the other styles nearly as much as I like the Islays.

 

[biggestmuff]

Glenfiddich 18 year old is very "peaty".

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: ZOXXO
It tastes like dirt.