Douglas Laing Big Peat Whisky, 1 x 700ml

Product Information

Big Peat has an extensive family: a 5cl infant, a 20cl toddler, a 70cl adolescent and a really big 4.5l man. Rationality abides me to confess that there's probably a very small amount of Port Ellen in this blend. But nonetheless a very fine one. A little rough around the edges, as a good fisherman should be. Palate: Peat (duh). I’ll go so far as to say this is the most well-rounded peat taste I’ve experienced. It’s just the right balance of smoky and sweet, medicinal and earthy. Give this to a newbie who wants to taste what peat is all about. Unlike Ardbeg 10 yo, it’s not like a sudden plunge into the deep end of the peat pool. Its balance should satisfy peat lovers, yet it won’t scare away the rookies. Laing: “No, it was only about four or five years ago that I realized this. Anybody who is fond enough of Big Peat to have a tattoo applied to his arm or leg, that’s got to be a cult-ish following. There’s even a group that call themselves Big Peat Nerds. They came across for a celebratory dinner a few months ago and flew in from all over. It’s very warming for us to see that sort of interest.” Distiller: What do you remember about the inception of Big Peat? I would strongly suggest avoiding the water with Big Peat. I had my first dram neat then added a couple of tiny drops of water for my second, and it just made everything (especially the nose) go limp. Like your grandmother walking into the room after you’ve just leafed through the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. You know what I mean. Mouth: Lots of peat and smoke and ash. The earthly feel continues with salt and some wee tobacco notes.

Color, Body, Aesthetic experience: So light gold as to be almost clear. Hate the color, the bottle shape, and the label most of all – seriously, it looks so silly. They should have called it “big smoke” as that would have been more accurate. Still points for ncf and 46%. Palate: Slightly syrupy body. The peat is more evident here, with a lot of earthy/fungal peat and a touch of smolder. Dry, with only a hint of bland simple-syrup for sweetness. Nose: Heavenly! Despite the 46% ABV, it's very soft on the nose. Big peat (duh) along with a bit of vanilla and maybe some sugary/fruity notes?What this means is that the universally accepted PPM measurement is a good indicator of the presence of peat, but also has a wide range of scope for distillers–not all that dissimilar to the measurement used by brewers to determine the bitterness levels of a delicious beer. Image: Kilchoman What is Peated Whisky? Finish: Medium-long. A swath of menthol and a hint of orange peel. The same peat notes from the palate continue here, but fade without change. A ghost of cherry or tart plum concludes the finish. In terms of the best occasion to enjoy this whisky, it’s certainly a fantastic casual dram to enjoy alone or with friends.

Our Service is an online platform which provides Members with information (e.g. bottle facts, market-indices, market values and prices) on (mostly) whisky and allows Members to add information to the platform. We do not sell, nor does the Service provide any option to buy, any alcoholic products. Each year, Big Peat launches a Christmas Limited Edition expression, which is bottled at natural cask strength – around 53% abv. Conclusion: This is a blend that calls a halt to single malt snobbery. Bold youthfulness, surprisingly complex and affordable. It competes in the price range of 16 year old Jura's or Aberlours. The mouth: Peated indeed. More powerful than the nose. Tarred peat. It is harder to go behind the peat, but there is still some fruits. It opens up with a few drops of water.

This particular review is based on the 4th sample provide by the Whisky Wire as part of the Big Peat Tweet Tasting. Frankly, I don’t know what to make of the finish. There are some strange elements here that I’ve never tasted in a whisky, like a combination of plastic and mildly sweet fruit (cantaloupe or muskmelon), along with some burned maple syrup. Nothing in the nose or on the tongue led me to expect this. The peat is still there, but it’s been demoted from A-list star to ensemble player. This expression is reviewed in my usual manner, allowing it to settle after which I take my nosing and tasting notes, followed by the addition of a few drops of water, waiting, then nosing and tasting. While the character is overall smoky, this only sets the tune for the actual aromatic notes that I experienced. If we decide not to exercise or enforce any right or provision of these Terms, such decision shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision.