Uisge Beatha Whisky prices compared

Peated whisky

Peated whisky gets its smoke from malted barley dried over peat. This page lists bottles labelled peated, from peated sub-brands, or from distilleries whose usual style is peated. Most peat tags here are inferred from house style, so check the bottle page rather than treating the tag as a label statement.

Islay names include Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Octomore, but the list also includes Highland, Island, Irish and Indian whisky. A ppm figure measures phenols in the malt before distillation, not smoke in the glass. For how peat smoke is infused, still cut points and why barley PPM differs from smoke in the glass, see our guide to peat, phenols, and PPM. For a narrower list, see heavily peated whisky; for stated ppm figures against price, see peat level vs price.

Prices are the best current in-stock offer from the UK retailers we check (how we compare prices).

350 bottles in stock, with the best current price from the UK retailers we check.

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Questions

What is the cheapest peated whisky?
The cheapest peated whisky is Glen Moray Peated - Elgin Classic Single Malt Whisky (40% ABV, 70cl), at £26.04 from Master of Malt. That is £30.99 delivered to the UK mainland for one bottle. Next cheapest: Black Bull Kyloe Peated (Duncan Taylor) Blended Whisky (£27.00) and Laphroaig Select (£28.50).
How much does peated whisky cost?
Peated whisky costs from £26.04 to £14,995.00, with a median of £99.95 for a full-size bottle. The dearest is Port Ellen 1981 Islay Festival 2008 Limited Edition Single Cask Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70cl.
What is the oldest peated whisky you can buy?
Talisker Magma Single Malt Scotch 47 year old Whisky, at 47 years old, from £4,699.95.
What is ppm in peated whisky?
Phenol parts per million: a measure of the smoky phenols, measured by liquid chromatography. The figure on a label is usually taken from the malted barley, not the whisky, so it says little about how smoky the bottle will be.
How does peat smoke get into whisky?
Peat is burned in the kiln that dries the malted barley, and its smoke leaves phenols on the barley husks. Most malt is now made at specialist maltings that dry the grain with other heat and use peat only to smoke it. A smoky note can also come from finishing whisky in casks that held peated whisky.
Why does peated whisky taste medicinal or smoky?
Different phenols give different notes: cresols bring medicinal, disinfectant aromas, while guaiacol gives smoke and clove. The balance depends on where the peat was cut and how hot it burned, as hotter fires favour phenol and cresols and cooler, damper fires favour guaiacols.
Is peated the same as smoky?
Usually, but not exactly. In Scotch, peat is the usual source of smoky flavour, while casks and char can also add smoky notes. The ppm figure and perceived smoke do not line up neatly.