Is That Peat in My Bourbon?
Back when the frigid cold of winter had fully set in, I moved towards my smoky brown spirits in the bar. I would normally pour a wee dram of Ardbeg, Highland Park, maybe a Laphroaig, or if I really want to sit and enjoy, a Hakashu 12, after shoveling snow. This year, I had another option on the shelf that I was introduced to on an ABV Network “Our Flagship Whiskey” event, Kings County Distillery Peated Bourbon.
For starters, let’s refresh ourselves on Peat and how we get to peated malted barley. Peat is a fuel used to heat homes that was formed by decomposing organic plant material. As for peated malted barley, the distiller will steep the grain in water to facilitate germination. Through the germination process, the barley creates sugars that will be converted to alcohol during fermentation. The magic happens when the malted barley is dried. In our case here, peat was used to dry the malted barley. As a result, the smoky characteristics from the peat are absorbed by the malted barley. Voila! You now have peated, smoked, malted barley ready for milling, mashing, and distilling.
Let’s get back to the bourbon: The story behind this expression is not one that is surprising to most in the production of whisky…a happy little accident. The story goes that one of the distillers was running low on traditional malt, and then used some other malt to finish the run. In this case, the distiller used the peated malt that had been sourced from Scotland for another project. Give the new-make some time in the barrel, and here we are. A whiskey that meets the legal standards to be called Bourbon, yet tastes like no other bourbon on the shelf. I would say the cover up was well worth the crime.
Here are my thoughts:
Mash-bill: New York-grown, organic corn and rye, Sourced malted barley from Scotland and England
Nose: Caramel and vanilla first, with the peat smoke coming in last. Smores come to mind with the overly toasted marshmallow as well. The smokiness doesn’t overwhelm you as you would think.
Taste: Surprisingly light, yet meaty as this is where the peat starts to shine. This one starts at the tip of the tongue and then heats its way to the back of the palate. Candied orange slices come to mind, along with smoked, salted caramel and dark chocolate.
Finish: I cannot tell if there is a Kentucky Hug or a Scottish Sweater. Either way, I’m loving the warmth as the spirit breaks down. The smoke is there and reminds me of a deep leather chair with cigar smoke in the air. I feel like I need to be drinking this at Shelley’s Back Room in DC or Sidecar at PJ Clarke’s…the one at 55th and Third, no less.
For someone who is both a bourbon and scotch drinker, I cannot say enough about this one. I’m glad to see I’m not the only one. This expression has been around since 2016, and has been very well received by the Spirits Competition Circuit.
San Francisco World Spirits Competition: Double-Gold 2016, gold 2016, silver 2019, bronze 2018.
Intl. Whisky Competition: silver 2017.
ADI Awards: silver medal 2016, 2017, 2018, bronze 2019.
ACSA Awards: gold 2019, silver 2018, bronze 2016, 2017.
Colin Spoelaman, David Haskell, and the team at Kings County have created quite a happy little accident with their Peated Bourbon. This expression at 90 Proof bridges the divide between your traditional bourbon and peated scotch fans. While I had a hard time getting this one in Illinois, a lot of you do not have the same challenges. For a truly different experience, Kings County Distillery Peated Bourbon allows us all to “give Peat a chance”.
Cheers!
