Big Peat 33 years old Vintage 1985 Limited Edition Blended Islay Malt Whisky 70 cl 47,2%

Thirty-three years. The whisky in this bottle was distilled while Port Ellen had only recently fallen silent, and it has rested in wood longer than most whisky enthusiasts have been interested in whisky.

The expert's description

Big Peat 33 years Vintage 1985 Limited Edition is an Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky finished in cognac and sherry casks and bottled at 47.2 %.

The individual distillates were made in 1985 and bottled 33 years later in 2018 in an outturn of 1,500 bottles. Of those, 15 bottles came exclusively to Denmark through Whisky.dk.

Douglas Laing added the release to the Big Peat range as an old and rare expression, where the combination of cognac and sherry casks lays a layer of dark fruit and sweetness over the mature Islay smoke.

Tasting notes

Nose

Old oak, dried plums and the sweet fruit of cognac. The smoke sits deep down as cold ash and wet seaweed.

Palate

Soft, broad and oily with raisin, dark chocolate and salted caramel. The peat is tempered by the years and works as a dry undercurrent rather than as the lead.

Finish

Very long with dried fruit, tobacco and a last breath of ash.

Specifications

Name: Big Peat 33 years old Vintage 1985 Limited Edition Blended Islay Malt Whisky 70 cl 47.2%
Bottler: Douglas Laing
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 33 years
ABV: 47.2 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Finished in cognac and sherry casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 1985
Bottled: 2018
Number of bottles: 1,500
Edition: Vintage 1985 Limited Edition
EAN no.: 5014218812176

Flavour profile

Mature · Peated · Cognac matured · Sherry matured · Dark fruit

Investment potential

High: Only 1,500 bottles worldwide and an unusual combination of 1985 vintage, cognac casks and Islay smoke. Whisky from this period exists in ever smaller quantities, and the release has long been discontinued at the producer.

Did you know?

Cognac casks are rarely used for peated whisky, because the delicate grape sweetness is easily run over by peat. After 33 years the smoke has quietened enough for the two finally to meet.

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Frequently asked questions about Big Peat 33 years old Vintage 1985 Limited Edition Blended Islay Malt Whisky 70 cl 47.2%

What do cognac casks do to a peated whisky?

They add grape sweetness, plum and a soft, almost perfumed fruit. Combined with the raisin and dark sugar of the sherry casks, it gives a layer of sweetness that mature peat smoke can carry without drowning.

How rare is it?

1,500 bottles worldwide, of which 15 came to Denmark. The release is discontinued at the producer and will not be made again.

Is it worth the money?

It is a 33 year old Islay blend from 1985 in a very small outturn, with a cask combination that barely exists elsewhere. The age alone makes it hard to replace, and whisky from the mid-eighties only grows scarcer.

How much smoke is left after 33 years?

Less than many expect. The peat is still there as cold ash and seaweed, but it has become an undercurrent rather than the lead. The whisky is more fruit than bonfire.

What does Blended Malt mean?

That the whisky consists of single malts from several distilleries, with no grain whisky added. Big Peat is always assembled from Islay malts, which is why the label reads Blended Malt and not Single Malt.

How should it be enjoyed?

Neat and without hurry. Give it time in the glass and drink it in small sips — a whisky of this age changes noticeably while it stands.