10 Peated European Whiskies for Anyone Craving Something New and Smoky

Craving a beautifully peaty whisky and not one to follow the summer cocktail craze? Or do you actually want a peaty whisky in that cocktail? We’ve lined up 10 exciting new smoky whiskies from across Europe for you.

Poli is an Italian distillery best known for its grappa, but they also make a single malt whisky. Smoke is a more popular flavor in Italy than many people think, and this whisky delivers it.

Segretario di Stato is distilled from peated malt sourced from Scotland. It’s just five years old and matured in Amarone casks. The whisky is rich, with a slightly rugged edge.

This whisky comes from Austria’s first whisky-producing distillery: Distillerie J. Haider.
One of their rye whiskies is made with 100 percent dark roasted rye malt. Haider uses local Austrian peat and rye to craft this seven-year-old whisky.

The result is quite different from Scotch. In the glass you’ll find earthy, musty peat notes like old carpets, alongside lighter aromas such as lavender, honey, and coriander.

These two Czech peated whiskies come from Moravia, the southeastern half of this Central European country. Gold Cock Peated isn’t just heavily peated—it’s almost unique. It’s made with Czech peat and malt. Gold Cock is a local, artisanal product.

The whisky is produced by the R. Jelínek distillery, and this single malt proves that makers of strong fruit spirits can craft excellent whisky too.

Old Town is a touch lighter; a single malt distilled by Trebitsch. Expect nutty and woody tones of cigar smoke. It also matured in rum, cognac, and port casks.

This Dutch whisky comes from the Jopen brewery in Haarlem. The peat used to smoke the malt is sourced from England, not Scotland, and the resulting single malt spends five years in ex-bourbon casks, Slovenian oak, and a few Pedro Ximénez casks. If you’re looking for a Dutch whisky and feel like experimenting, this one’s worth a try.

Gilors is the whisky label of Brennerei Henrich, a distillery not far from Frankfurt. With almost maritime aromatics, Peated Madeira brings spice and dark fruit depth. Madeira casks naturally lend red fruit notes, while the Scottish 40 PPM peated malt adds unmistakable smoke.

Lübbehusen Peated Small Batch is a seven-year-old single malt whisky. The maker describes it as “unadulterated North German whisky pleasure.” The malt is lightly peated at 12 PPM. The spirit first matures in new American white oak, then moves to Islay casks for a secondary maturation.

Thanks to the combination of peated malt and peated casks, the whisky ends up more smoky overall. There’s also a cask strength version, bottled at 57.5 percent ABV instead of 44 percent.

Savu is the peated release from Teerenpeli, a distillery dedicated solely to single malts. This Finnish whisky matured in bourbon (80 percent) and sherry (20 percent) casks. Ideal for those seeking a lighter style of smoke, Savu is bottled at an approachable 43 percent ABV. You’ll find a balance of peat and sweetness, more so than in the heavyweight Islay single malts.

The next whiskies on the list are both distilled in the southeast of France’s Occitanie region. Vilanova Terrocita and Azurite can be called “craft whiskies.”

Vilanova whisky hails from Distillerie Castan, and Terrocita is one of their single malt releases. In typical French fashion, Castan provides plenty of tasting notes but few production details for Terrocita. What we do know is that it matured in white wine casks.

Azurite is bottled with a minimalist style by Distillerie Twelve. The company’s name comes from the twelve friends who founded the distillery.

This peated whisky is “44 months” old (just over three years) and matured in a mix of Pineau des Charentes, Muscat, and new oak casks. Tasting notes include leather, smoked bacon, and a hint of mint, layered over pronounced peat.

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