Smoke Signals: Smoke, Peat and Malt
This class will focus on the variety of ways that smoke and peat can influence the flavors of malt whisky. Through tasting whiskies in which smoke and peat play a supporting role in the overall flavor profile as well as those powerful robust malts in which smoke and peat leave no question of their presence, this class will cover the original reasons for including smoke and peat in whiskey. We’ll discuss the regional associations with smoke and peat, and the ways that blenders and distillers can use it to create both incredible nuance and structure as well as unapologetically bold whiskies.
Learning objectives:
- Explore through tasting, the flavor profiles of the selected spirits
- Relate how the process of malting barley leads to a peaty flavor profile
- Understand that that the level of peat in a whiskey is now a choice made by the distiller
- Learn how ageing in sherry and bourbon casks impacts the finished spirit
- Identify blenders and distillers known for their peated whiskies
Guests will receive:
- Six tasting pours of selected spirits
- Palate cleansing bread and cheese
- Two hours of education, including time for Q&A with an Astor Center instructor
- Access to our state of the art tasting facility