The Whiskey Reviewer A World of Whiskey, Poured Every Weekday
By Michael Cervin
Rating: B
Son of Peat 2
(Credit: Flaviar)
For some, peat is the holy grail of whisky. For others it’s a tin cup. Either way, peat, also known in Scotland as blanket bog, is ubiquitous, covering nearly one-fourth of the country. Long burned for heat in Scotland, it was also used to fire malting floors, and so it is the defining element for many Scottish whiskies.
Peated whiskies are not difficult to come by, so members-only spirits club Flaviar decided to create its own peated whisky called Son of a Peat (Batch 1) which came out in November 2017, in an attempt to make an exclusive product. Apparently the first batch was so well received (only 1500 bottles), that in March 2019 they extended the lineage with Son of a Peat Batch 2. This does exactly what it was intended to do: be a peated whisky on steroids. In other words, no cigar required, you wouldn’t be able to taste it anyway.
Nine single malts are in the final blend, from Islay, the Islands, Highlands and Speyside, aged in sherry butts and old bourbon barrels. Though we asked specifically which distilleries the malts come from, they told us that contractually they could not offer that information but that, “they are all top quality drams.” At 47.2% ABV, it’s just a wee bit lower than Batch 1, but offers more peat.
The Scotch
Color: Very light amber and golden.
Nose: From afar the peatiness escapes the glass quickly, as is should, given its name. But the peat is balanced by sweet almond, apricot, candied resin and honey.
Palate: This explodes across all corners of the palate and is not for the faint of heart. If Islay Scotch is up your alley, you’ll easily drive up this one in a semi. As their website states: “We took the essence of Islay, Speyside, the Highlands, and the Islands, and turned the peat volume to eleven.” True enough. This makes no apologies and it’s an all out assault on your senses, and it’s meant to be. Certainly you’ll find tones of butterscotch, the amplified peat, toffee, resin, apricot and citrus, but you won’t find a sweetness that lingers around. This is bold peat and smoke and that is all it pretends to be. The only drawback is that it’s a little superficial in terms of its viscosity, a lack of needed aging time to round out the weight.
The Price
Available to Flaviar members only. Only 2,000 bottles were produced and it sells for $65 for a 750 ML.
I am surprised you gave this bottle only a B grade. Having tasted Laphroaig Lore, Laphroaig Triple Wood (which is highly rated by one of your editors), Lagavulin 16, Ardbeg and many others, I found this Son of Peat 2 to be more succulent and all-encompassing. The range on the palate extends far beyond just Islay; it covers the Highland and clearly highlights Speyside. If Laphroaig Triple Wood is an A-, then this bottle should be an A- or even an A. That’s just one humble opinion from a Scotch lover.