The Peat Project: WA Peat Infused with Sugar Kelp (Portuguese Re-Charred Red Wine Barrique) - Macaloney's Island Distillery & Twa Dogs Brewery

House Character & Tasting Notes

From our ‘peated’ single malt range, this island whisky undergoes double distillation using traditional Scottish methods, uses only the finest local malted barley and is uniquely peat-smoked at the distillery – a practice exclusive to a select few. Our patient, purposeful distillation yields a complex, layered, and balanced ‘clearach’ (new-make spirit).

Renowned whisky maturation expert Dr. Swan has lauded the original newmake from our copper pot stills as’the best I have tasted in any distillery at this stage, super fruity.’This peated distillate maintains the smooth and fruity character, now adorned with delicate, intricate peat-smoke notes. Peat smoking contributes the truest ‘terroir’ in whisky appreciation. Therefore, our Peat Project TM range allows you to explore how peats from Washington USA, Canada, and Scotland dier in theirunique flavour profiles.

This expression was distilled using local barley, peat-smoked at our distillery to 54 ppm with local Washington State peat infused with sugar-kelp seaweed. It was then fully matured in a carefully selected Portuguese red wine barrique, blanketed with fresh maritime island air. This single cask allows comparison with other peat terroirs encompassing Washington-USA, Canada and Scotland, and across our range of wine, virgin oak and Bourbon casks.

The nose has delicate sweet peat-smoke, burnt heather, pot pourri with rose petals and oak spices. Crème brulée, strawberry and dried apricots, yield to sweet sugar-kelp reminiscent of the beach at low tide.

 

The palate is velvety, with medium peat, sweet pipe-tobacco smoke and oak, complimented with ‘machair’ flowers, pears, thick-cut marmalade, fruit tarts, bramble jam, honey, clove and cinnamon. It then develops to sweet sugar-kelp reminiscent of dulse and smoked oysters, wet coastal forest, fresh fennel, and hazelnut. The finish has lingering sweet oak, fresh ocean breeze, distant bonfire, and a hint of salt.

We take pride in the quality, care and attention we put into all of our whiskies. The new-make spirit,from which this whisky was crafted, won World’s Best at the prestigeous World Whiskies Awards. Our single cask whiskies are remarkably consistent, with the sister cask to this one winning gold and Canadian Best at the World Whiskies Awards.