
Six of Scotland's best 'peated whiskies' and how much they cost
These drams come from acclaimed distilleries around Scotland.
When it comes to choosing a whisky to buy, all of the options on offer can be overwhelming. Unless you are a seasoned expert, it can be difficult to know where to even begin.
The Daily Record previously spoke to a whisky expert who shared his top tips for starting a collection. However, sometimes all you want is a curated list of some top-quality drams to pick from.
If you are looking for a safe bet when it comes to whisky, retailer Whisky-Online Shop has rounded up some of the "top peated single malt whiskies". The experts' selection includes bottles from acclaimed distilleries around Scotland, including Laphroaig and Ardnamurchan.
1. Peat's Beast Cask Strength
Peat's Beast Cask Strength is a heavily peated single malt whisky that is full of coastal air and bonfire ember notes. According to the experts, it is a powerful whisky that is not recommended for the faint-hearted.
A bottle of Peat's Beast Cask Strength can be ordered from Selfridges for £74.99. It can also usually be picked up from Master of Malt for £59.95, though it is currently out of stock.
2. Ledaig Sinclair Series Rioja Cask Finish
This smoky Ledaig single malt is the first release in Tobermory distillery's Sinclair Series. Made with heavily peated barley and finished in hand-selected Rioja casks, it includes scents of Turkish Delight and candied orange peel and tasting notes of almond, raspberries, and vanilla.
The Ledaig Sinclair Series Rioja Cask Finish can be purchased for £38.25 from The Whisky Exchange. It is also available for the same price from Master of Malt.
3. Isle Of Harris The Hearach
The unique Isle Of Harris The Hearach whisky was made with Outer Hebridean waters from the Abhainn Cnoc a 'Charrain—running over some the oldest rocks on the planet— and 100 per cent Scottish Concerto barley. It features notes of wildflowers, toasted malt and honeysuckle, meringue, and ginger.
For those interested in the Isle Of Harris The Hearach, a bottle can be ordered from Master of Malt for £64.95. The whisky is also available from The Whisky Exchange at a price of £61.75.
4. Ledaig 10 Year Old
The Ledaig 10 Year Old is a peaty whisky that also comes from Tobermory on the Isle of Mull and is titled after a previous incarnation of the distillery. Featuring a maritime and smoky flavour profile, it offers notes of fresh fruit and crushed spice.
The whisky is available from The Whisky Exchange at a price of £40.75. It can also be purchased for the same price from Master of Malt.
5. Laphroaig 10 Year Old Sherry Oak Finish
Laphroaig is a legendary distillery located on Scotland's 'whisky island' of Islay, and this malt has been finished in Oloroso sherry casks for more than a year. In addition to the intensely peaty flavour Laphroaig is known for, it features elements of dark chocolate and maple syrup.
At the moment, The Whisky Exchange is selling Laphroaig 10 Year Old Sherry Oak Finish for £55.95. Elsewhere, a bottle can be ordered from Master of Malt for £55.90.
6. Ardnamurchan AD Single Malt
The Ardnamurchan AD Single Malt is a sweet malt that comes from the Ardnamurchan distillery in Glenbeg. It features a combo of peated and un-peated malt, and includes notes of toasted marshmallows, orange oil, lime cordial, sea salt, and dark chocolate.
Currently, The Whisky Exchange is selling the Ardnamurchan AD Single Mal t for £48.25. Meanwhile, it is also in stock at Master of Malt at a price of £47.95.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Record
4 days ago
- Daily Record
Whisky experts release Father's Day malt with less than 500 bottles available
A limited-edition dram has been launched in honour of the annual holiday. A whisky retailer has launched a whisky created exclusively for Father's Day. Less than 500 bottles of the limited-edition release are available. June 15 marks Father's Day in Scotland and across the world. The annual holiday is dedicated to celebrating fathers and fatherhood. To help celebrate, Master of Malt has launched a "thoughtful" limited-edition whisky created exclusively for Father's Day. The product carries a Father's Day label, intended to be given as a gift for the holiday. The release, named Father of Malt, is described as "a rich and peaty" 16-year-old single malt. It comes from the Caol Ila distillery on the isle of Islay, which is often referred to as Scotland's 'whisky island'. The Father of Malt was distilled in December 2008, before spending 16 years maturing in an oloroso sherry wood. Priced at £79.95, only 491 bottles of the whisky are available from Master of Malt. On the nose, the Father of Malt features notes of salted peanuts, baked apple, vanilla, toffee, shortbread, porridge, and smoked tea. Meanwhile, tasting notes include peat smoke, dried red fruits, peppercorn, hibiscus, cracked pepper, and Kola Cubes. Master of Malt states: "Our very own 2025 Father's Day Reserve, and it's a belter of a single malt from Caol Ila. Distilled in December 2008, the whisky spent 16 years maturing in an oloroso sherry hogshead before we earmarked it for this special Father of Malt edition, cracking open the cask to release a total of 491 bottles. "That's 491 very happy Dads. If it gets to them before everyone else, that is. "It's one supremely gluggable dram." Meanwhile, Master of Malt has released a Father's Day Bourbon. Also carrying a Father's Day label, it has been described a "soft five-year-old high-wheat blend". The Father's Day Bourbon is a small-batch release, and is priced at £39.95. It is a custom blend from a number of top American distillers, with no component being less than five years old. Among the nose notes of the bourbon are maple syrup, pancakes, butter popcorn, and chewy toffee. Meanwhile, caramel, vanilla, and chocolate are some of the tasting notes. Both of the whiskies were developed by Sam Simmons from Master of Malt. Simmons, who is known as 'Dr Whisky' according to Master of Malt, has previously served as a global brand ambassador for "some of the industry's biggest names". Meanwhile, the Daily Record recently shared a roundup of some of the best whiskies to buy for Father's Day. Among the malts included were the Dad's Dram Blended Malt and the Glenmorangie X, which can be purchased from The Whisky Exchange and The Whisky Shop for £39.95 and £35 respectively. Master of Malt is among the UK's leading online spirits retailers, featuring a curated selection of whiskies, craft spirits, and exclusive bottlings. The company aims to make spirits accessible for both seasoned connoisseurs and newcomers.


Scotsman
26-05-2025
- Scotsman
Feis Ile 2025: Limited edition festival whiskies from Lagavulin, Jura, Bowmore and Ardbeg - prices and how to buy
This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement. From peaty whiskies such as Ardbeg and Caol Ila, to lighter drams from Bunnahanhain, Islay has something for all whisky tastes including the range of Fèis Ìle 2025 Festival bottlings Fèis Ìle is Islay's renowned whisky, culture and music festival, and runs this year from the 23 May until 31 May. Each of the nine Islay distilleries have their own festival day which can include tours, tastings and live music. Here we take a look at what festival bottlings are on offer and how you can snap up a bottle. Lagavulin This year, Lagavulin is inviting fans to discover new depths of flavour with Lagavulin Fèis Ìle 2025 15 Year-Old. Finished in Moscatel de Málaga casks, this expression showcases a masterful balance of sweet and spicy notes while retaining Lagavulin's distinctive smokiness. This rich and complex bottling offers aromas of salted toffee, and ripe berries, interwoven with maritime medicinal undertones. The palate is luxuriously smooth and creamy, harmonising flavours of sweetness, salt, spice, and smoke. It culminates in a long, drying finish with that lingering fragrant Lagavulin smoke and a captivating note of Sichuan pepper spice. Lagavulin Fèis Ìle 2025 15 Year-Old is bottled at 55.7% ABV, with an RRSP of £240, available to be purchased from the distillery and There will be a total of 1,596 bottles. Caol Ila In a bold new move, Caol Ila is introducing an exciting new dimension of flavour with Caol Ila Fèis Ìle 2025 8 Year-Old. This whisky has been matured in a unique combination of refill casks and Pedro Ximénez /Oloroso-seasoned casks, before being finished in new Colombian Oak casks. The result is a burst of bold yet harmonious flavours. As whisky expert Charles MacLean puts it, 'even at reduced strength, the taste is intense!'. T his release explores Caol Ila's waxy character, delivering an intensely smooth, oily texture and a richer, unexpectedly sweet profile emerging from the Colombian Oak cask finish. The whisky's complex smoke is amplified by layers of spice notes and peppery warmth. Caol Ila Fèis Ìle 2025 8 Year-Old is bottled at 55.8% ABV, with an RRSP of £110, available to be purchased from the distillery and There will be a total of 1,476 bottles. Laphroaig Laphroaig will welcome Friends of Laphroaig and whisky lovers from around the world to the distillery on Tuesday 27 May for Laphroaig Open Day. Guests can expect a full day of festivities that capture the spirit of the distillery and its island home – from traditional music and dancing to the warmth of peat fires and the unmistakable aroma of Laphroaig's signature smoky whisky. Laphroaig will mark Fèis Ìle 2025 with its latest Càirdeas expression, Lore Cask Strength – a bold, richly layered single malt that completes our series of cask strength versions of well-known Laphroaig whiskies. With Càirdeas meaning 'friendship' in Gaelic, this release allows Friends of Laphroaig to discover exciting expressions matured in creative casks, and new twists to the iconic Islay Single Malt. Crafted as a marriage of five of Laphroaig's favourite cask types - including ex-Bourbon, Oloroso sherry, European oak, and quarter casks - this expression is non-chill filtered and bottled at natural cask strength, delivering the distillery's most intense flavour profile yet. On the nose, the whisky is sweet, herbal and boldly peaty, with a fruity expression opening with aromas of apricot, peaches in syrup, lemon cream, coconut and vanilla fudge. The palate delivers an explosion of peat and salty sea spray, followed by lemon zest, salted limes, caramel, and herbal notes of mint and tea leaves. Delicate spices like cumin, cloves and ginger emerge, leading to a long, citrus-sweet finish with an enduring phenolic character that defines Laphroaig. Laphroaig Càirdeas Lore Cask Strength SRP is £89 and is on sale exclusively from the distillery shop from Saturday 24 May. Bowmore Bowmore will open the gates to Islay's oldest licensed distillery on Wednesday 28th May for Bowmore Open Day. Set against the stunning backdrop of Loch Indaal, the distillery will come alive with exclusive tastings and experiences, each designed to showcase the craftsmanship behind their whisky. To celebrate this year's festival, Bowmore is proud to unveil an exclusive Fèis Ìle release – a 100% floor-malted single cask bottling. The Bowmore Fèis Ìle 2025 exclusive embodies Bowmore's commitment to quality, innovation and its time-honoured whisky-making tradition. Crafted with intent, and filled entirely by hand in the No. 1 Vaults, this captivating single malt reflects Bowmore's long-standing artisanal philosophy. On the nose, it is intense and spicy with blackcurrant, liquorice root, leather, and peat smoke. The palate is sweet and oily, with floral notes, charred orange rind, black cherry, with a long, lingering, almost chewy finish. Bowmore Fèis Ìle 2025 exclusive SRP is £120 and is on sale from the Bowmore distillery from Wednesday 28 May. Jura Jura Whisky is selling a new single cask release to celebrate this year's Fèis Ìle Festival. On 30 May Jura will be welcoming whisky lovers to its beachside distillery, with tours of the distillery on offer as well as tastings, live music, cocktails and boat tours exploring Jura's beautiful coastline. To mark the 2025 festival, a very special expression will be released limited to just 300 bottles, exclusively available to the whisky-lovers who visit Jura in-person during Fèis Ìle. Joe Ricketts, whisky maker, explained: 'For this year's Fèis Ìle single cask release we've revisited a standout 2007 vintage parcel. In 2022 the whisky making and distillery teams selected #1892, a bold, rich oloroso butt which explored a different side to Jura's distillery character. 'With an additional three years maturation, #1895 builds on the complexity of our 2022 Fèis Ìle release, with notes of crystallised citrus, prune and hazelnut together with hints of polished leather and dark chocolate from its full-course Sherry maturation.' This whisky is available exclusively at the Jura distillery between 23 May and 31 May 2025 with an RSP of £135. Ardbeg Marking 25 years of the Ardbeg Committee, this year's festivities on Saturday 31 May are, the team say, set to be out of this world. At the distillery and across the globe, Ardbeg will transport smoky malt lovers' taste-buds to a fruity new dimension, with Ardbeg Smokiverse, the limited edition whisky released for the festival. This limited edition will be the Islay distillery's first whisky crafted from a high-gravity mash, resulting in a distinctly vibrant, tropical and fruity spirit. This unconventional 'high-gravity' mash magnified the intensity of flavour-active compounds known as acetate esters, leading to a fruitier, more tropical spirit. Aged in bourbon casks, this Ardbeg whisky unveils layers of muscovado sugar, ripe barley, and toasted sourdough bread, all culminating in a burst of ripe tropical fruits and sweet peat. Ardbeg Smokiverse will be available to buy worldwide from Ardbeg Embassies, whisky specialists, online retailers, the Distillery Visitor Centre on Islay, and on from 28 May.


Daily Record
26-05-2025
- Daily Record
Eight Father's Day Scottish whiskies to buy and share with your dad
With Father's Day coming up, here are some of the best whiskies to purchase as a gift. Father's Day falls on Sunday, June 15 this year. The yearly holiday is all about honouring fathers and paternal bonds. You don't need to buy a gift to celebrate Father's Day properly. However, those who are looking to buy a present can't go wrong with a bottle of whisky. All over Scotland, there are countless distilleries that produce world-class whiskies. Unless you are an expert, it might be difficult to know which one to buy as a gift. The Daily Record has rounded up eight whiskies from distilleries across the country that would make for a top Father's Day present. From classic and iconic whiskies to bottles produced specifically for the holiday, at least one is sure to catch your eye. We have also included the prices of each whisky, as well as where you can purchase them. No matter what your budget is, it is the thought that counts when it comes to gifting. Scottish whiskies you can buy. 1. Dad's Dram Blended Malt The Dad's Dram Blended Malt is a limited-edition whisky from The Whisky Exchange that features a combination of specially selected Highland and Speyside single malts. It includes notes of orchard fruit, caramel, pastry, gooseberries, and creamy toffee sauce. Described as the "perfect dram to share with your dad", the Dad's Dram Blended Malt is available exclusively from The Whisky Exchange. It is available to buy for £39.95. 2. Arran 10 Year Old Whisky The Arran 10 Year Old Whisky is a 10-year-old whisky that was first launched in 2006. It is known for its herbal notes on the nose, as well as a sweet palate that includes notes of digestive biscuits and green fruits. The whisky is currently available to buy from Master of Malt at a cost of £41.98, down from the usual price of £44. Elsewhere, it can be picked up for £46.75 from The Whisky Exchange. 3. Glenmorangie X With notes of orange zest, vanilla, and pears, Glenmorangie X is unique in that it has been specifically designed to be paired with mixers. Created in collaboration with top bartenders, it would make for the perfect gift for somebody who doesn't usually drink their whisky straight. The Whisky Shop is currently selling the Glenmorangie X for a price of £35. It is also available to buy from Tesco for £30. 4. Glen Scotia Victoriana The Glen Scotia Victoriana is a strong single malt whisky renowned for its richness and intensity. With its flavour profile unfolding gradually, it offers notes of sweet caramel, vanilla, ripe berries, spice, and more. At the moment, a bottle of the Glen Scotia Victoriana can be purchased from The Whisky Exchange for £76.25. It is also in stock at Master of Malt for £75. 5. The Glenrothes 15 Year Old Whisky Described as a good introduction to the iconic Glenrothes distillery, the Glenrothes 15 Year Old Whisky features a multi-layered flavour profile. With various notes of sweetness, spice, and fruit, the whisky is mellow, warming, and rich. A bottle of The Glenrothes 15 Year Old Whisky is available to purchase for £106 from The Whisky Shop. Meanwhile, it can also be bought for £99.95 from Master of Malt. 6. Lochlea Our Barley If the person you are shopping for is a fan of Robert Burns, then this may be the whisky for them. Lochlea Our Barley comes from Lochlea Distillery, which uses barley grown on the farm where Scotland's national poet lived and worked. The Lochlea Our Barley can be purchased from The Whisky Shop for £50. The whisky is also available from The Whisky Exchange for £45.50. 7. Balvenie 16yo French Oak The one-of-a-kind Balvenie 16yo French Oak comes from the renowned Balvenie Distillery in Speyside. First aged in American oak casks, it features notes of honey-glazed fruit and subtle leafy hints. The Balvenie 16yo French Oak can be bought at a price of £132.47 from Master of Malt. Elsewhere, The Whisky Exchange sells it for £147. 8. Glengoyne Time Capsule Miniature Pack This one is perfect if you are struggling to choose just one whisky and would rather gift a small selection of drams. The Glengoyne Time Capsule Miniature features three small bottles from the innovative Glengoyne Distillery: the 12 Year Old, the limited-edition white oak, and the 15 Year Old. At the moment, the Glengoyne Time Capsule Miniature is available to buy from The Whisky Shop for £29. It can also be purchased from Loch Fyne Whiskies for the same price.