For reasons known only to him, my boss, Chris Queen, has given me his blessing to take the reins of his “Whiskey Wednesday” column this week. Actually, today’s offering is called “Whisky Wednesday” (no "e" in "Whisky") because I will be writing about that smoky nectar from the northern UK known as Scotch whisky.
Chris is a classy drinker, and there are three things I admire about the way he imbibes:
- He is educated on the subject; he is a certified bourbon steward.
- He is a patriotic, red-blooded American bourbon drinker.
- He has the ability to taste and enjoy a variety of American whiskeys.
I am none of the above. I am but a simple, self-taught drinker, so I will not be able to replicate Chris’s learned descriptions of what I taste. (I'll just wing it.) Also, my preferred poison hails from Scotland, and I am downright finicky about which Scotches I drink. Not that I only want the high-end, eye-wateringly priced kind — quite the opposite. The important thing to me is that my dram is liberally seasoned with the stench of burning peat. No smooth, blended whisky or clean, bright single malt will do the trick for me. I need a bite that sears the back of my throat and makes me feel like I just smoked a carton of cigarettes.
As the late legend Toby Keith put it in his song “Whiskey Girl,” I like ’em rough:
Damn, I miss Toby Keith.
Let’s begin.
Talisker Storm
Talisker Whisky distillery rumbling into life, just as I’m putting the rods back in the car…#talisker #skye #scottishhighlands pic.twitter.com/iyyfavXFvg
— Will Millard (@MillardWill) August 12, 2025
A solid choice for the novice smoke sampler as well as the dedicated peat-head, Talisker hails from the Isle of Skye. (Most of my favorite peaty choices are from the lowlands and islands, in fact.)
"Crafted in the oldest working distillery on the Isle of Skye, Talisker single malt whisky captures the elemental wildness and pure beauty of its birthplace," writes parent company, Diageo, of the nearly two-century-old brand:
Shaped by the sea where it is distilled, every sip of Talisker is a sip of Skye. As rugged and unforgettable as the landscape that shapes it, Talisker is loved all over the world for its smoky maritime character and signature peppery kick.
That description comports well with my experience. And as a coastal conservative, I appreciate all of those characteristics.
The Storm variety does not list the whisky's age on the label: It "was first introduced in 2013 as a no-age statement [NAS] expression designed to intensify Talisker's house style," explains Blackwell's Wine & Spirits. "Its maturation involves a blend of refill and toasted American oak casks, allowing both the classic brine, smoke, and spicy elements to come through."
"Because it's NAS, Storm emphasizes flavor selection and intensity rather than strict aging benchmarks," says Blackwell's. Fine by me!
Stats: 91.6 proof, around $65.
In the glass: Gorgeous golden-amber hue, terrific viscosity, coats the glass with a film that descends ponderously before forming into heavy droplets rather than legs.
Nose: Peat, yes, but there are also other things going on that make me think of a Chesterfield and pipe tobacco.
Neat: Intense. Fiery. Powerful but not edgy or brassy.
With soda: (NOTE: This is my preferred way of drinking Scotch. I call it a 50-50: It's half whisky, half club soda or sparkling water. No ice. Probably there's a real name for this mix, but I am unaware of it.)
Outstanding. Tastes like a sophisticated, quality Scotch-and-soda, but with more personality than an old-faithful blended (like Chivas, for example).
NOTE: I'm not going to score these drinks the way Chris does because first of all, I don't know enough to do that, and second, these single malts are a very subjective thing. My favorite trash heap-fire Scotch might be repellant to a smooth, high-end blended Scotch drinker and vice versa. And by next summer, I might be completely over the Scotch that thrills me right now.
Ardbeg Wee Beastie
The Ardbeg Distillery has won 'Distillery of the Year' Award for the second year running! All four of our Ultimate Range whiskies were awarded over 90 points. Get your hands on your favourite here: https://t.co/zG0ZnQcw4G #Ardbeg #DrinkResponsibly pic.twitter.com/iXdoyDQftc
— Ardbeg (@Ardbeg) August 22, 2019
This brash young Scotch is my current crush, and has been since I discovered it a couple of months ago. And frankly, any Ardbeg will do — it's all delicious. But Wee Beastie is so-named because it's just a baby Scotch at a mere five years old. Rather than mellowing, smoothening, and developing complexity, this whisky stays frank, energetic, and single-minded. It does its job, which is to deliver a dose of spicy-hot smoke to my face, quite handily. Or, as Master of Malt puts it:
Ardbeg's Wee Beastie is a youthful single malt drawn from a combination of ex-bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks, bottled up at five years of age. Peaty notes sit at the fore for this one, with oak somewhat taking a back seat, since... Well, y'know, it didn't stay inside those casks for too long. However, don't mistake that for meaning Wee Beastie is an uncomplex expression. It still packs a satisfying flavour profile that should impress many of the Ardbeg aficionados out there.
Like Talisker, the Ardbeg distillery was founded a couple centuries ago on a remote Scottish island — in this case, Islay.
Ardbeg had me sold when it described itself as "The most peated of all the Islay malts."
Ardbeg uses the most phenolic malt in the business (i.e. the smokiest). […]
At the Distillery it is crushed into a substance called grist by our iconic and extremely rare Boby malt mill, installed in 1921.
The water we use to produce Ardbeg comes from Loch Uigeadail, 3 miles up the hill behind the Distillery. The water flows down the hill and runs into Loch Airigh Nam Beist – from there the burn takes it to Charlie’s Dam at the Distillery and from there it is piped into the Mash House.
And you can taste every bit of that mineral-and-element-rich journey in this bold dram.
Stats: 94.8 proof, somewhere around $50.
In the glass: A fairly viscous pour. Great set of legs. Amber hue.
Nose: Near perfection. Rich, earthy, smoky peat is the star, and really, that's what I came for, so 'nuff said.
Neat: It went right to my nose and lingered briefly before retreating to make a furnace of the back of my throat, leaving the aroma of smoke in my nostrils.
With soda: Full-mouth rapture. Smoke and sizzle, satisfies from the front of the mouth to the back and all the way down.
Related: Soulless Greens Are Trying to Ruin Scotch Whisky
And a wine for Scotch lovers: 1924 Double Gold Buttery Chardonnay
1924 brings the things I look for in a chard — a full-bodied, rich, substantial white with good salinity and no cloying aftertaste. Plus, this California wine comes with a bonus for whisky lovers: It's aged in Scotch barrels.
Crafted with full-bodied Chardonnay aged in Scotch Barrels, this liberal wine is layered with aromas of rich toffee, sweet tobacco, and baked apple pie with notes reminiscent of Scotch: hints of antique leather, caramelized brown sugar, and toasted oak.
Enjoy this sophisticated sipper with subtly sweet, smoky dishes: Oven-roasted pork spareribs alongside savory baked apples or grilled, alder-smoked salmon.
Stats: 27 proof, around $15 (a steal).
Nose: More interesting than a plain old white wine.
In the glass: Impressive, with a substantial golden hue that lets you know you're in for something different.
Taste: All the pleasures of a full-bodied, finely crafted chardonnay plus a hint of smoke and a better-than-expected burn at the end of the sip. No annoying aftertaste — it's more of an afterglow.
Chardonnay not your thing? 1924 offers a variety of great-looking wines aged in various types of whiskey casks, both white and red!
Accompaniments
For the soda, my go-to is Saratoga Sparkling Spring Water. It's extra-bubbly and has a clean, mineral flavor — not obtrusive but able to stand up to these fiery drams. A standard club soda like Schweppes is fine, too. The key is that the bottle or can is freshly opened. For me, the extra kick from the full-strength bubbles jumpstarts the burning peat flavor, elevating it into something truly spectacular that you feel as much as taste.
I also recommend a salty snack with these drinks. Splitz Extra Salt pretzels with cubes of cheddar are delicious and potent enough to hold their own against these powerful pours. Substitute regular pretzel chips to cut down on salt. Substitute mixed nuts to cut carbs.
I'm always happy to learn about great new drinks, snacks, and recipes from PJ VIPS in the comments section!
Thank you, Chris, for lending your Whiskey Wednesday space to me!
