Peaty whiskey has become popular worldwide with the rise of single malt whiskey.
Before this, only locals from Islay held a special fondness for peat.
Peaty whiskey is somewhat like civet coffee.
Before gaining popularity among European aristocrats, "civet coffee," purely due to the fermentation through the civet's digestive tract, was enough to deter coffee enthusiasts.
In fact, not to mention the "ultra-premium ultra-classy" civet coffee, even offering a standard cup of black coffee to someone who's never tasted coffee would surely make them frown due to its bitterness.
There are probably few people who fall in love with the bitter taste of espresso without milk and sugar at first sip.
But once they do fall in love, they'll find coffee with milk and sugar bland and flavorless.
The peat taste in whiskey, to put it simply, is the smoke flavor.
