There are moments when a whisky lands on your desk and genuinely makes you pause. Macaloney's Sugar Kelp Peat Project is one of those bottles. A Canadian single malt that uses sugar kelp — a species of seaweed — as part of its peat source. That alone tells you this isn't a distillery content to follow the established playbook, and I respect that enormously.
Macaloney's has been turning heads in the Canadian craft whisky scene for several years now, operating out of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. What sets the Sugar Kelp Peat Project apart from your standard peated expression is the methodology: rather than relying solely on traditional peat bogs, the distillery incorporates locally harvested sugar kelp into the smoking process. The result, at least in theory, should deliver a maritime, briny character layered beneath the smoke — something closer to an Islay coastal profile than anything you'd typically associate with Canadian whisky.
Bottled at 46% ABV with no age statement and no chill-filtration, this is a whisky that wears its craft credentials openly. The price point of £54.95 sits comfortably in the premium craft bracket — not cheap, but hardly unreasonable for what amounts to a genuine experiment in flavour development. NAS releases can be divisive, but in the context of a project whisky like this, the omission of an age statement feels deliberate and honest rather than evasive. This is about process, not years in wood.
What to Expect
Without confirmed tasting notes from the distillery, I'll speak to what this whisky represents in the glass. The sugar kelp peat technique should impart a distinctly coastal smokiness — less medicinal than Laphroaig, potentially closer to the softer, more saline peat character you might find in a Caol Ila or even some of the newer Kildalton experiments. At 46%, there's enough strength here to carry weight on the palate without overwhelming, and the absence of chill-filtration means you're getting the full texture the distillers intended.
Canadian single malt is still a relatively young category on the global stage, which means bottles like this carry a certain exploratory energy. You're not buying into two centuries of tradition — you're buying into ambition and raw innovation.
The Verdict
I'm giving Macaloney's Sugar Kelp Peat Project a 7.7 out of 10. This is a whisky that earns its score through sheer originality. The sugar kelp concept isn't gimmickry — it's a thoughtful approach to terroir, grounding the spirit in its Pacific Northwest origins in a way that feels authentic. At £54.95, you're paying a fair price for something that genuinely stands apart from the hundreds of peated malts competing for shelf space. It won't replace your favourite Islay bottling, but it shouldn't have to. This is Canadian whisky doing something distinctly its own, and doing it with conviction. Worth buying for anyone who values craft and curiosity in equal measure.
Best Served
Pour this one neat in a Glencairn and give it a good five minutes to open. If the peat feels assertive on first nosing, add a few drops of cool water — it should soften the smoke and let the maritime character come forward. This is a whisky built for slow, attentive drinking. A classic Highball with quality soda water would also work well here, particularly in warmer weather, where that coastal salinity could really shine against the carbonation.
