The flavor of peat or "peatiness," or the lack thereof, defines and differentiates Scotch whiskys. This taste is created by using burning peat moss to smoke the barley that's used in making whisky.
"The bigger the percentage of barley smoked with peat, the more intense the smoky taste will be in the final whisky," Daniel Yaffee explains.
Islay, part of the Inner Hebrides archipelago off the coast of mainland Scotland, is where the most peaty, briny and smoky whiskys are made. Highland and Speyside whiskys from the northern reaches of Scotland are less peaty and tend to have a richer fruit and floral flavor than those from the coastal areas.
