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SCOTCH & SMOKE

This month we explore the untamed world of peat and the question we're all asking.

What does peat really taste like?

Peated whisky is often summed up in a single word: smoky. But ask a room full of Society members what that smoke tastes like, and you’ll likely get a room full of different answers. That’s because peat can take on different characteristics depending on where it comes from, how it’s used, and what happens to the whisky along the way. From the landscape to the kiln, the still to the cask, every step helps shape the final dram. This November, we’re exploring that journey through ten peated whiskies from distilleries across Scotland. Some are bold and unmistakable, others more subtle and surprising. But each offers its own answer to the question: What does peat really taste like?

What is it?

• As of 2026, Scotland is home to 156 unique whisky distilleries

• While the exact number is known, the majority of these distilleries are producing whisky for blending purposes, many of them exclusively.

• Almost 9 out of every 10 bottles of Scotch consumed around the world is a blend (yikes).

• A single bottle of blended Scotch may contain whisky from up to 60 different distilleries, their origins completely unknown.

WATCH THE FILM

This month's outturn features a selection of whiskies produced at ten (10) Scottish distilleries worthy of attention. Here are just a few of the many we're exploring this month.

DAILUAINE

Distillery 41 deliberately limits copper interaction during production and runs its stills relatively quickly, helping heavier compounds survive into the new make. That gives their whisky a muscular, meaty character with plenty of body.

TEANINICH

Instead of a traditional mash tun, Distillery 59 uses a mash filter that squeezes exceptionally clear wort from finely milled barley. That clear wort, combined with long fermentation, helps create the distillery's signature fresh, grassy and fruity spirit.

BALMENACH

Distillery 48 still uses traditional worm-tub condensers, which provide less copper contact and help preserve heavier compounds in the spirit. The result is an unusually weighty, rich and sometimes meaty style of Speyside whisky that stands apart from the region’s more delicate malts.

BEN NEVIS

Distillery 78 produces a distinctly full-bodied style of whisky, using relatively short 48-hour fermentations followed by a narrow spirit cut during distillation. The result is the oily, robust Highland spirit.

FETTERCAIRN

Distillery 94 has a unique copper cooling ring around its stills that sends cold mountain water cascading down the outside during distillation. Cooling the copper increases reflux and helps create the distillery’s notably light and clean spirit.

UNSUNG HEROES

Explore ten brand new whiskies from Scotland's unsung heroes.

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UNSUNG HEROES