If you love your whisky smoky, chances are you’ve ventured deep into Islay, where Laphroaig, Ardbeg, and Lagavulin reign with their bold, peated expressions. But what if you’ve explored all the classics? What if your palate is ready for something new?
Peated whisky is no longer Scotland’s secret. From the tropics of India to the forests of Sweden, distillers around the world are embracing smoke, adding their own local twists along the way. Whether it’s peat-dried barley, cask finishes, or a new approach to smoke entirely, these world whiskies are expanding what peated whisky can be.
Here are five non-Scottish peated whiskies that every smoky dram lover should try next.
Amrut Peated Cask Strength (India)
If you’re looking for a bold, smoky experience with an exotic twist, Amrut’s cask strength release delivers. This Indian whisky is distilled in Bangalore using peated Scottish barley and aged in ex-bourbon barrels. It matures rapidly in India’s warm climate. What would take 12 years in Scotland can reach maturity in just four to five years here.
On the nose, expect kippers, salted butter, and roasted coffee. The palate is a burst of smoky malt, black pepper, and molasses, with a dry, intense finish. At around 23 ppm, the peat here is savory and warming, never overpowering the fruit and spice underneath.
It’s bottled at over 61% ABV, so a splash of water opens it up beautifully. Widely available in both the U.S. and UK, you’ll find it around $95 / £75.
Hakushu Distiller’s Reserve (Japan)
For something more subtle and refined, Hakushu offers a forested take on peat. Made in the Southern Japanese Alps, Hakushu Distiller’s Reserve blends lightly peated malts with fresh, herbal spirit, resulting in a whisky that’s as crisp as mountain air.
You’ll find aromas of cucumber, peppermint, and green melon, with gentle smoke in the background. The palate brings citrus zest, grapefruit, and lemon thyme, finishing with a clean wisp of bonfire smoke.
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This isn’t peat that punches you in the face, it’s a gentle hand on the shoulder, and showcases the kind of subtlety for which Japanese whisky has become known. Ideal for fans of Caol Ila or Highland Park, it’s available in 700ml (UK) or 750ml (U.S.) formats and typically priced around $75-$100..
Mackmyra Svensk Rök (Sweden)
Mackmyra’s Svensk Rök, Swedish Smoke, is what happens when Nordic tradition meets modern whisky making. Instead of classic peat, this whisky is smoked using local peat and juniper twigs, giving it a uniquely herbal, piney profile.
The smoke is medium in strength, but very different in style, more like smoldering birch branches than Islay’s seaweed and iodine. On the palate, expect smoke, herbs, green fruits, and vanilla.
It’s bottled at 46.1% ABV and typically comes in 500ml or 700ml formats. In the UK, it’s widely available for around £48–£55. In the US, it can be trickier to find, but some specialty retailers do carry it for around $70–$80.
Starward Unexpeated (Australia)
Unexpeated is a clever twist from Melbourne’s Starward. This isn’t a peated whisky in the traditional sense. Instead, Starward took their signature red-wine-cask single malt and finished it in barrels that had previously held heavily peated Islay whisky.
The result is a whisky where tropical fruit (mango, red berries, peach) meets soft, coastal smoke. The peat doesn’t dominate but adds a savory, earthy counterpoint to the juicy, jammy notes that Starward is known for. It’s bottled at 48% ABV and delivers great complexity without overwhelming your senses.
It’s available in both the UK and U.S., though stock is limited. Expect to pay around £85 / $110, depending on availability.
The English Smokey (England)
Made in Norfolk by the English Whisky Co., this single malt is peated to 45 ppm—putting it firmly in smoky territory. Matured in ex-bourbon barrels and bottled at 43% ABV, it delivers a familiar Islay-style profile, but with a fresh, English twist.
The nose brings vanilla, aniseed, citrus peel, and ginger cake. On the palate, sweet malt and orchard fruits give way to bonfire smoke and peppery spice. The smoke is clear and assertive, but well integrated, less medicinal than some Islay bottlings, and more oak-driven. A great English whisky alternative to peated scotch.
At around £45 / $60, it’s one of the best-value smoky malts you can buy, and widely available in the UK. U.S. distribution is growing, but it may still be a specialty find.
Final Thoughts
Scotland may have defined peated whisky, but it no longer holds the monopoly. From India’s heat to Sweden’s forests and Japan’s mountains, distillers around the world are experimenting with smoke in ways that respect tradition but push boundaries.
If you’re a peated scotch fan looking to branch out, these five whiskies offer a world tour of flavor, without ever losing that smoky soul.
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