‘Tis the season for Yuletide dramming and what better way to kick it off than with Douglas Laing’s Big Peat Christmas Edition 2019 review and tasting notes.
Established in 1948, Douglas Laing is now an industry-leading independent blender and bottler that specializes in creating artisan, small batch and Single Cask Scotch Whiskies. They hand select whiskies from distilleries all over Scotland and offer them as the Master Distiller intended: At Cask Strength and without chill filtration or adding colour.
Big Peat is part of Douglas Laing’s Remarkable Regional Malts range. Their Master Blender, Fred Laing, has created this range of whiskies by marrying together single malts from each distilling region to create six definitive tastes of Scotland. The six bottlings embody the general flavour characteristics of each region.
The Islay region expression from their Remarkable Regional Malts range is called “Big Peat.” Big Peat is a blend of single malts only from the island of Islay. Islay whiskies, for the most part, are known to be smoky, peaty whiskies. However, each distillery on Islay somehow manages to create their own unique flavour. No two Islay expressions are alike!
Their annual Christmas Islay Blend is made up of Caol Ila, Ardbeg, Bowmore and Port Ellen whiskies and certainly lives up to the name “Big Peat”! Although this edition is bottled at Cask Strength, it is incredibly smooth and easy drinking, which leads one to believe that there is whisky with some age to it in this blended single malt. Big Peat Christmas 2019 is a perfectly well-balanced representation of all 4 Islay Distillery flavour profiles. A harmonious quartet of Sweet, Salt, Smoke and Earth play and dance their way to the farthest reaches of the palate and back again!
Bottled at 53.7% ABV
Nose: Charred driftwood, Sea salt, Iodine, Caramel
Palate: Salted caramels, Smoldering peat moss, A Saltwater-seasoned driftwood beach fire, Christmas cookie dough.
Finish: Long, Lingering, Christmas baking and more smoldering seaside peat.
Mouth Feel: Slightly creamy and buttery
Paired with a traditional breakfast on Christmas morn.
Rating 9.5/10
Whisky and video credits to Whisky Taste Buds
If you are looking for that perfect gift for someone just getting to know whisky or a seasoned enthusiast put a copy of our book, Nosing and tasting the Water of Life: Blue Collar and Scholar Guide to Whisky Pairing, in their stocking or under the tree!
Slainte!
Blue Collar
Oh, this sounds amazing! I am a big fan of the X-Mas Peats… but I’ve yet to try this year’s edition. Well, there’s still some time till December 24. 🙂
Definitely worth picking one or 2 up! Be sure to check back when we do the second part of the review x 2 after the bottle has been open for a while.