Doc Swinson’s “Smoke on the Water” Rye Whiskey Finished In Islay Quarter Casks
Doc Swinson’s “Smoke on the Water” Rye Whiskey Finished In Islay Quarter Casks TTB Label - Note: ABV/Proof are Placeholders
If you’ve ever tried an American whiskey - in this case, including American Single Malt - finished in peated Scotch casks, you know it’s a challenge in a league of its own.
Peat - regardless of profile - doesn’t hide. I don’t think it could hide if it wanted to. Whether the profile is heavier on the smoke or heavier on the vegetal/earthy side, you’ll notice it. In practice, that means you don’t use it unless you want it to be tasted/smelled/experienced, and you don’t use it by accident.
If all this sounds dramatic, trust me, it’s not. “Peated” has a spectrum, sure, but there’s no zero on that spectrum if peat is present.
So, why would an American whiskey producer want to pair such a powerful and distinct flavor with their whiskey? Well, peat is complex and highly varied based on where it came from. Peat from bogs in Islay, Jura, the Scottish Highlands, Orkney, Denmark, India, Indiana, New York, and Ireland will all taste different and present differently when used to smoke the grain.
The deep-dive into peat types is for another time, but before we go too deep into this pour it’s worth doing a little investigation.
As I mentioned in another recent Doc Swinson’s review, producers are often limited by NDAs or obfuscation in disclosing where a finishing cask is from. Sometimes, though, they have a strong idea, and leave loose threads for consumers to tug on.
Smoke On The Water, Doc Swinson’s Rye Finished in Peated Scotch Quarter Casks, is one of those that invites further digging. The first place to go is “peated”. Not every peated Scotch comes from Islay, and Islay is not specified on the label. In tasting the product, to me it became clear that it was an Islay-style profile, with maritime influence, iodine, and vegetal smoke bordering on vulcanized rubber. Another person could try this, though, and taste a more heather-forward peat, indicating Orkney, or a fruitier woodsmoke, indicating the Highlands.
The second piece is “Quarter Casks.” Quarter casks are exactly what they sound like - casks one-quarter the size of 53-gallon American standard barrels, equating to around 13-15 gallons give or take. A quick Google search for “Scotch whiskey using quarter casks” leads to three suspects: Laphroaig, which takes up 90% of the search results, BenRiach’s two limited editions finished in quarter casks, and Arran’s limited edition in quarter casks.
Like I said, based on profile I was already pretty sure which of these were the culprit. Finding only two other distilleries and only three other products using quarter casks, Laphroaig was clearly the frontrunner. Here’s the other factor: the two BenRiachs and the Arran are all limited edition offerings, whereas Laphroaig’s quarter cask is a perennially available product. Although all four products were peated, it wouldn’t make sense for a producer seeking peated quarter casks to rely on casks used for limited edition products.
Laphroaig it was.
Now, I can’t confirm that and nor can Doc Swinson’s (believe me, I asked!), and Laphroaig being owned by a large multinational conglomerate, they’re disinclined to acquiesce my request. But, from an investigative standpoint, profile plus availability minus reasonable exclusions will equal the answer. Or, another way to put it, if the obvious answer is smacking you in the face, that’s probably the answer.
There is one other piece of the puzzle for Smoke on the Water, and that’s the mashbill. Normally, Doc Swinson’s will use a proprietary blend of MGP’s rye mashbills as the base for their finished ryes. In this case, though, I clearly remember being told they only used 95/5 rye (if I’m wrong on this, Jesse will set me straight soon enough!). Looking back to the beginning of this write-up, that makes complete sense. 95/5 is a strong, peppery, herbal rye that can cut through heavy finishes, and there’s nothing heavier (or at least more affective) than peat. That makes this another example of how thought process becomes reality - I love Doc Swinson’s blended rye base, but knowing it had to cut through the peat, they made the decision to go with only the strongest rye available to them.
Intentionality and thought process matters, and nothing could show that more than that decision. Well done.
Thank you to Doc Swinson’s for providing this sample for review purposes without restriction.
Doc Swinson’s “Smoke on the Water” Rye Whiskey Finished In Islay Quarter Casks: Specs
Classification: Rye Finished in Islay Quarter Casks
Origin: MGP, Doc Swinson’s
Mashbill: 95% Rye, 5% Malted Barley
Proof: 114.2 (57.1% ABV)
Age: NAS (5+ Years Old on Website)
Location: Distilled and Aged in Indiana, Finished in California
Doc Swinson’s “Smoke on the Water” Rye Whiskey Finished In Islay Quarter Casks Price: $84.99
Doc Swinson’s “Smoke on the Water” Rye Whiskey Finished In Islay Quarter Casks Review: Tasting Notes
Eye: Fossilized amber. Thin, staid rims and slow legless drops.
Nose: The smoke hits first, more smoky than peated. It’s not pungent, for me at least. Just a hint of petrichor and salinity. The rye is understated, holding up against the smoke but battling hard.
Palate: The rye and smoke swirl around each other. Sweet woodsmoke punches through for a second before a clear peat punch follows. Coating on the tongue with a syrupy mouthfeel, warmth and baking spice from the rye with oily char and smoked fish minus the fishiness, if that makes sense. Earthy.
Finish: Long and lingering, the peat front and center. The rye is still fighting the good fight but loses during the finish, understandably.
Overall: If there’s one style of American whiskey that can stand up to peat (not including Single Malt, for obvious reasons), it’s rye. I’m curious what the rye percentages are in here, since it’s sweeter rather than spicier, but it does stand up for most of the pour, only being finally overwhelmed on the finish.
Final Rating: 6.9
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary
8 | Excellent | Exceptional
7 | Great | Well above average
6 | Very Good | Better than average
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary
4 | Has promise but needs work
1-3 | Let’s have a conversation
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