When you think of single malt whisk(e)y, there’s a decent chance your mind immediately heads toward Scotland. In the pantheon of single malts, there’s none as well-known and historic as single malt Scotch whisky. But single malt whiskey is produced worldwide, including the US, Japan, Taiwan, Sweden, and India. Also, while Scotland’s Islay region is known as the peat-smoked whisky destination, there are many other smoky options throughout the world.
What is single malt whisk(e)y?
Before we get ahead of ourselves, it’s important to get a little background on single malt whisk(e)y. First, if you didn’t know it already, the US, Ireland, and Mexico are the only countries to use the ‘e’ in whiskey. But these are only a handful of countries that produce single malts.
In my years of writing about alcohol, I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time sampling single malt Scotch whisky. But I’ve also tried single malts from other countries, and I’ve learned a little about the style. While bourbon can only be made in the US, single malt whisky can be made anywhere.
To produce single malt whisky, you need to make a spirit with a mash bill of 100% malted barley, distilled at one distillery, and matured in oak barrels. Some countries have specific regulations, but those are the general rules. Just like the whiskies from the various regions in Scotland, single malts produced throughout the world can have a variety of flavor profiles from soft and sweet to robust and smoky. Today, we’re most concerned with the latter.
The best single malt whiskies for fans of smoke
Now that you’ve learned a little about the appeal of single malt whisky and especially smoky expressions, it’s time to find some to add to your home bar cart. Below, you’ll find some of the best, smoky (sometimes peated) single malts from all over the world. Keep scrolling to see them all.
Lagavulin 16 Single Malt Scotch Whisky
If you only purchase one single malt Scotch whisky on this list, make it Lagavulin 16. The flagship expression from the famed Islay distillery, this award-winning whisky was matured for 16 years in oak casks before finishing in ex-Oloroso sherry casks. The result is a multi-layered whisky that opens with notes of herbal tea, honey, toasted vanilla beans, salted caramel, and campfire smoke. Sipping it reveals notes of dried cherries, baking spices, caramel, vanilla, smoked bacon, and peat smoke. The finish is long, warm, and ends with a mix of baking spices, butterscotch, sea salt, oak, and rich peat smoke.
$79.99
Amrut Peated Indian Single Malt Whisky
Scotland isn’t the only country making peated single malts. A great example is Amrut Peated, an Indian single malt whisky. Made with peat-smoked barley, this expression was matured between 4 and 5 years in ex-bourbon barrels. It’s aged at high altitude, speeding up the process and making a richer, more flavorful whisky in much less time than its Scottish counterparts. The nose is a mix of scents, including caramelized sugar, toasted vanilla beans, cracked black pepper, and campfire smoke. The palate is centered on notes of dried fruits, molasses cookies, vanilla, citrus peels, wintry spices, and peat smoke. The finish is smoky, sweet, fruity, and lightly spicy.
$85.99
Ardbeg An Oa Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Named for the Mull of Oa, located on the southeastern area of the Inner Hebrides island of Islay, Ardbeg an Oa is a 46.6% ABV, non-chill-filtered single malt Scotch whisky matured in a combination of Pedro Ximénez sherry casks, virgin oak, and ex-bourbon barrels before finally being married in a French oak vat. The result is a multi-layered, memorable whisky that begins with a nose of licorice, chocolate, orchard fruits, vanilla, and peat smoke. Sipping it brings hints of salted caramel, candied orange peels, nuts, toasted vanilla beans, caramelized sugar, baking spices, and campfire smoke. It all ends with swirling peat smoke, ocean brine, and sticky toffee pudding.
$75.99
Corsair Triple Smoke American Single Malt Whiskey
While many of the whiskeys on this list are only peat-smoked, Corsair Triple Smoke goes in a different direction. It’s made with a mash bill featuring three different smoked barleys. One is cherrywood smoked from Wisconsin, one is beechwood smoked from Germany, and the last is peat-smoked from Scotland. This results in a smoke bomb of a whiskey that begins with a nose of candied cherries, vanilla beans, orange peels, caramel, and rich smoke. The palate is a blend of flavors, including dried fruits, candied orange peels, honey, caramelized sugar, and a swirling mix of smoke. The finish is sweet, fruity, and effortlessly smoky.
$48.99
Bottom line
Hopefully, now you know that there’s a whole world of smoky single malt whiskeys just waiting to be discovered. If the above expressions don’t strike your fancy, we also suggest you try Stauning Smoke (Denmark), Yoichi Single Malt (Japan), and Connemara Peated Single Malt (Ireland).
