Today I am wrapping up my first steps into peated single malt with a side-by-side quick snap comparison of the three peated entry-level whiskies I reviewed over the past week. I like having these quick side-by-side comparisons to help me fine-tune my opinion on what I tried. The side-by-side comparison can make certain notes pop and highlight the character of the individual drams.
It also helps me with the content of Road to Dram. I committed myself to posting twice a week for a few months. This challenges me to check if the frequency is sustainable or maybe even if I might increase posts. This generally works well. I can write at night after work and on weekends, but it does not leave a lot of time to schedule things ahead of time. Shorter posts like today’s also help leave more time for planning my next reviews, taking pics, and doing some research. All things I enjoy, but take time. So let’s dive into it.
Snap peated entry level side-by-side tasting
The whiskies were first sampled individually and then side by side to each other. The observations below focus on the notes that were enhanced during the comparative tasting or those that mellowed down vs the original tasting. The header links go to the original reviews.
Highland Park 12 Viking Honour
Of the three whiskies in this tasting, I was afraid this might be overpowered by the more peaty sparring partners. It is certainly gentler, but in comparison the honey and heather, rather than the sherry I expected. Even on the palate, the mild smoke is noticeable and different to what the Talisker and the Laphroaig bring. It is a very mild peat, woody rather than medicinal.
Talisker Skye
Trying the Skye next to the Laphroaig 10 hits home the positioning Diageo has thought for this whisky as a gentle peated dram. It turns sweet, and fruity, slightly artificially so, with a stong pear note on the nose. The palate is more consistent with the standalone tasting notes, sweeter, yet still spicy. It remains somewhat hot, and that odd laundry note is, if anything, highlighted.
Laphroaig 10
Laphroaig 10 has such a strong characteristic identity that it is almost overbearing on the other two drams. Side by side, especially vs the sweeter Talisker Skye it bursts with phenolic peat, without losing its secondary vanilla, iodine and lemon peel notes. Maybe it comes across as less sweet and more malty, if anything.
Conclusion
Tasting whiskies side by side is always a great opportunity to learn something new, even with more mass market targeted bottles such as these. For people relatively new to whiskies like me, it helps crystallise certain profiles as future reference. The interplay of soft peat and strong sherry in Highland Park or the chilli spice of Talisker are good examples. Laphroaig’s medicinal peat does not even need to be mentioned.
It also helps with the ultimate goal of this blog, shaping my journey in discovering my taste in whisky and providing you with a template for your own journey. Trying these three peated drams will help shape next steps. As for the three bottles themselves: right now I doubt I would restock any of the three. Not because any disappointed. Rather they make me want to try other bottles.
The Talisker Skye is a friendly peated dram, but it makes me want to explore the 10 year old, which was the original plan anyway. In the end, choosing with my wallet may result in spending more rather than less! Highland Park 12 is a bottle I am fine having on my shelf, though the temptation to try an older version (if I can find one at a good price at auction) or a decent independent bottler, is strong. The Laphroaig 10 definitely confirmed to me that I love peat. Yet, it makes me crave something more nuanced than the ham-fisted peat punch of the 10 Year Old. It does have its place though. Sometimes it is just what I want, but more and more rarely so as I explore other peated whiskies.
I enjoyed and learned loads in this first dive into single malt. Yet looking at things as a new whisky drinker, I decided to take a little side step before diving deeper into whisky. Stay tuned for something slightly different next week: a new wave of blended Scotch?
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