This is the smokiest whisky yet from the anCnoc range – ‘Peatheart’. A natural resource, peat was historically embraced as fuel to fire the still and dry the barley for the distillation of whisky. It is traditionally cut by hand using several traditional cutting tools.
Peatiness can be controlled by the amount of peat burnt and the humidity of the barley. Peat smoke produces chemicals called phenols and it is by its phenol content that a whisky’s ‘peatiness’ can be measured. This phenol content is expressed as PPM (parts per million) Peatheart uses barley malted to 40 PPM. (as a reference, Highland Park is about 20 PPM) Peatheart’s 40 ppm is the actual phenol content of the malted barley, whereas on previous anCnoc peated expressions the ppm was the measurement of the phenol content of the liquid.
“This is a remarkable malt from a Highland distillery that offers up a pretty good challenge to the reigning peated malts from Islay. Not to be missed” (greatdrams.com)
Nose : An initial smoky burst surrenders to a surge of fruitiness. Ripe pears and the citrus notes of apples and limes with just a touch of tobacco in the background. The nose is balanced yet an undeniable smoky sweetness prevails.
Taste : Smoke laced with leather and sweet stewed apples. Chocolate is there too, perfectly complemented by sweet vanilla and zesty lemon. The finish has a lingering warmth with a floral smokiness.
