Potent malt | Charred oak | Peat | Clove | Touch of apricot | Rich overall

Stewed apples | Butter pecan | Burnt caramel | Charred oak | Peat

Burnt pie crust | Roasted malt | Pine | Brown butter | Lingering peat

For Chattanooga Whiskey’s sixth barrel finished release, the company returned to a region they seemingly can’t get enough of: Islay, Scotland. Known for its earthy, smoky, and of course, peaty characteristics, Chattanooga continually finds new ways to harness what makes scotch special, and apply it in new and different ways to their own whiskeys.

The construction of this whiskey is anything but simple. Chattanooga Whiskey brought together a custom blend of three different peated whiskeys, made with three unique peated malts, sourced from three UK malthouses and finished for 8 months in three types of scotch whiskey casks sourced from three different distilleries. The result is a whiskey that tastes peaty - as you’d expect - but is so rich and layered that those who love peat, or can tolerate it, will find a ton to love about this release.

Right from the start, the whiskey is incredibly rich with whiffs of potent malt, charred oak, clove, and peat emanating from the glass. The palate is full-bodied, with stewed apples, butter pecan, burnt caramel, and charred oak dominating the rich tasting whiskey. At this point during the sip, it’s entirely possible to forget about the peat notes because of how rich the palate’s other flavors are. But the peat makes a big play during the finish, and it's nicely offset by burnt pie crust, roasted malt, pine, and brown butter.

It should be obvious that Chattanooga Whiskey Triple Islay Cask Finished isn’t going to be for everyone. It’s doubtful it will make you a peat lover, but it could open up your personal palate to its wondrous ways. I didn’t like peat until multiple tastings of the range of peat-flavored whiskey by Chattanooga Whiskey. But after tasting many of them, I can honestly say the company’s whiskey is getting better and better and more complex with every release they put out featuring the polarising flavor note.