Peat Chimney completes the original Wemyss Malts blended malt trio alongside The Hive and Spice King. Launched in 2005, the range was one of the first to break from the coy, abstract branding of traditional blended malts and instead name each release for its dominant character. Peat Chimney leaves no doubt about its intentions.
The composition is Islay-led, marrying smoky island malts with a Speyside or Highland core to carry body and sweetness. The nose is all bonfire embers and brine, with a kipper-smoke savouriness and a sweet malty backdrop that stops the peat from turning austere. On the palate there's peat reek, sea salt and a streak of bacon fat, tempered by dark honey and baked fruit.
The finish is long and ashy, fading into a gentle sweetness that brings you back for another taste. Bottled at 46% and non-chill-filtered, it retains the oily mouthfeel that heavily peated whiskies deserve.
Peat Chimney sits in a crowded field of smoky blended malts, but Wemyss's willingness to pitch it as a composed, balanced dram — rather than a peat-bomb for its own sake — gives it a steadier appeal. A reliable introduction to Islay character for those not ready to commit to a cask-strength single.
