After my first experience with English Whisky Co. wares, it was time to be bold and push the boundaries even further, so I went ahead and tasted the peated version of English Whisky Co.

It’s another The Whisky Exchange exclusive, bottled at 55.2% with only 290 bottles produced. I had two questions in mind about it:

1. is the peat source a local one in Norfolk or is it sourced from Scotland or outside the UK?
2. How does it stand up to the classic (and unpeated) version?

English Whisky Co. Peated TWE Exclusive (55.2%, 290 bottles, £61.95)

Nose: First impression: creamy peat. Seriously, it like a mix of bowl of peat with a bottle of crream. digging deeper soft, musky and creamy, vanilla, fruity with pears and has a cloudy feeling (as it’s not clear and fresh).

Palate: Peat, semi bitter wood smoke, soot, oak, sweet vanilla, dash of fruitiness, feels lighter than the nose let on.

Finish: Medium-long length with wood smoke with a bitter and acrid edge, peat, vanilla, pears sweetness.

Thoughts: It’s a pretty good one as it’s rounded and balanced. I didn’t detect any medicinal or sea notes here so I guess Islay isn’t their peat source :-). I think the peated version does stand up to the classic one but personally, despite being a peat head, I preferred the classic over this one for it was richer and a more fruity – it works a bit better for me. But the bottom line is that both are good and kudos to English Whisky Co. for producing rock solid and tasty whisky.

(Official sample received from The Whisky Exchange)