Big Peat 27 years old Vintage 1992 Series No 3 The Black Edition DL Blended Islay Malt Whisky 70 cl 48,3%

The final chapter. After twenty-seven years the peat has become something else — barbecued meat, coal dust and rock salt, as Douglas Laing themselves described it when the bottle was let loose in 2019.

The expert's description

Big Peat 27 years Vintage 1992 The Black Edition is an Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 48.3 %.

The whiskies were distilled in 1992 and bottled in 2019 in an outturn of 3,000 bottles, without chill filtration and without added colour. It is the closing release in the Vintage Series trilogy.

The series began with the Gold Edition at 25 years in 2017 and continued with the Platinum Edition at 26 years in 2018. The Black Edition closes the row and is at once the oldest and the most restrained of the three in strength.

Tasting notes

Nose

Coal dust, barbecued meat and rock salt. Beneath the heavy smoke lie dried figs, coffee and a hint of old oak.

Palate

Deep and broad with ash, black pepper and salted caramel. The 48.3 % makes it softer than its two predecessors, and the texture is clearly oily.

Finish

Very long and dry with smoke, cocoa beans and a mineral salt edge.

Specifications

Name: Big Peat 27 years old Vintage 1992 Series No 3 The Black Edition DL Blended Islay Malt Whisky 70 cl 48.3%
Bottler: Douglas Laing
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 27 years
ABV: 48.3 %
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 1992
Bottled: 2019
Number of bottles: 3,000
Edition: Vintage Series No 3 The Black Edition

Flavour profile

Peated · Meaty · Salt · Mature · Smoky

Investment potential

High: The closing release in a complete trilogy and the oldest of the three. The series will not be repeated, the outturn is 3,000 bottles, and the Black Edition is the one collectors most often lack to finish the set.

Did you know?

Big Peat celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2019, the very year the Black Edition appeared. Douglas Laing marked it with both a 10 year old limited edition and the close of the trilogy in the same season.

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Frequently asked questions about Big Peat 27 years old Vintage 1992 Series No 3 The Black Edition DL Blended Islay Malt Whisky 70 cl 48.3%

Why is it called the Black Edition?

The name follows the trilogy's metallic logic from gold through platinum to black, and it points at the same time to the character of the whisky: the darkest, heaviest and most coal-like of the three.

How does 27 year old Islay whisky taste?

The peat has lost its sharpness and become coal dust, ash and barbecued meat. Salt and minerality remain, but sweetness from the cask has been given room, and the whisky feels broader and more rounded than a young Islay.

Why is the strength lower than the other two?

Because alcohol content falls naturally over time in Scottish warehouses. After twenty-seven years the casks were down to 48.3 %, and Douglas Laing bottled without adjustment.

Is it worth the money?

It is the oldest release in a completed series of 3,000 bottles and represents a kind of mature Islay whisky that cannot be produced faster than time allows. Both the quality and the rarity hold up.

Should it have water?

Try it neat first. At 48.3 % it is already approachable, and old whisky generally takes less water than young — too much can snuff it out.

Which glass do you recommend?

One with a narrow opening that gathers the heavy smoke notes. See the whisky glasses if you need one.