Macaloney's European Moscatel Barrique Washington Peat 46% ABV 750ml

This whisky is from our ‘peated’ island single malt range – double distilled using only the best malted barley available, and uniquely peat-smoked at the distillery, a traditional practice only done by a tiny handful of distilleries. The patient, yet purposeful, distillation produces a complex, layered and balanced ‘clearach’ (new-make spirit). The whisky maturation expert, Dr. Swan described the original newmake that trickles off our copper potstills as ‘the best that I have tasted in any distillery at this stage, super fruity.‘ This peated distillate is equally smooth and fruity, but now layered with delicate, complex, peat-smoke notes!

Peat smoke contributes the truest ‘terroir’ in whisky appreciation. This expression allows you to explore how Washington peat differs from our Canadian and Scottish peats. It was distilled using our local barley peat-smoked at the distillery with Washington State peat, from just across the Canadian-U.S. border. It was then matured in, and bottled directly from, a single carefully selected European Moscatel sweet white wine barrique, thereby allowing comparison of Washington peat across our range of wine casks including red, white, Port, Oloroso, and PX, etc. 

Nose: The nose presents medium peat smoke with oakwood bonfire, cigar, dried hay, vanilla bean and white moscatel wine. Floral and fruit notes include dried apricot, lychee, melon, fresh ginger, banana, coconut, sweet peas, roses, and honey. Then juniper and coastal pine forest yield to white chocolate, hazelnut, marzipan, and walnut, finishing with seashore breeze and peat smoke.

Palate: The palate is velvety, with big peat, sweet burnt heather, malt extract, hemp rope, and seashore. Tropical fruits are resplendent with pineapple, sultanas, pears, figs, stewed apples leading to heather honey, chocolate orange and Key lime banana pie, followed by cloves, white pepper, liquorice, marzipan, hazelnut, walnut and rum, and raisin toffee. The finish is dry with a hint of salt and lingering smoke.