peaty flavor

6.2

A smoky, earthy taste in some whiskies from burning plants while drying grain

noun

: sabor a turba

Many Scotch whiskies are celebrated for their peaty flavor and lingering finish.

Examples

Connoisseurs can often identify the peaty flavor unique to Islay whiskies.
If you prefer a milder taste, avoid bottles with an intense peaty flavor.
I love the peaty flavor of this whisky.
This scotch has a distinct peaty flavor that I enjoy.
Connoisseurs can often identify the peaty flavor unique to Islay whiskies.
Many Scotch whiskies are celebrated for their peaty flavor and lingering finish.
If you prefer a milder taste, avoid bottles with an intense peaty flavor.

Surface Forms

peaty flavor singular

peaty flavors plural

Morphology

peaty + flavor

The phrase is a straightforward adjective+noun composition: 'peaty' (derived from 'peat', i.e. decomposed plant matter producing a smoky/earthy smell when burned) describes a type of 'flavor', so the overall meaning is simply a flavor that tastes of peat. Because the sense is directly predictable from the constituents and follows a regular derivational pattern (peat → peaty) it is transparent to a learner who knows the constituent words.

Etymology

Peaty flavor comes from an old whisky-making method: makers dried barley over burning peat, a dark plant material, so the grain took on a 'smoky' and 'earthy' taste. That's why peaty flavor now means a 'smoky' or 'earthy' taste in some whiskies.