Big Peat is not a distillery but a fisherman with a wild grey beard and four Islay distilleries behind him. The twelve year old is the one where he has picked up some manners — the smoke is still there, but the edges have softened.

The expert's description

Big Peat 12 years is an Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 46 % without chill filtration and without added colour.

The blend consists solely of single malts from Islay, all at least twelve years old: Caol Ila contributes sweetness, Bowmore balance, Ardbeg the medicinal and earthy character, and Port Ellen a measure of elegance.

Douglas Laing created Big Peat in 2009 as a single-bottle account of Islay. The firm was founded in 1948 by Fred Douglas Laing and is still run by the family from Glasgow, where they now also operate their own distillery.

Tasting notes

Nose

Charred oak, chimney smoke and wet rock pools. Under the smoke sit vanilla, butterscotch and dark fruits such as blackcurrant and black cherry.

Palate

Fruit driven with toffee, dark chocolate and a nutty edge. The spiced peat smoke settles around the sweetness instead of fighting it, and the salt of the coast is obvious.

Finish

Long and lingering with brown sugar, bonfire ash and a dry phenolic quality that stays.

Specifications

Name: Big Peat 12 years old Douglas Laing Blended Islay Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 46%
Bottler: Douglas Laing
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 46 %
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
EAN no.: 5014218814903

Flavour profile

Peated · Maritime · Smoky · Sweet · Full bodied

Did you know?

Port Ellen closed in 1983 and only reopened in 2024. Big Peat has over the years contained whisky from the closed distillery — one of the few ways ordinary people have ever tasted Port Ellen.

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Fifteen years of the grey bearded fisherman on the label called for a celebration, and Douglas Laing chose red wine casks for the occasion. Smoke and red wine is a risky pairing — it works when the casks are hand selected.

The expert's description

Big Peat 15th Anniversary Limited Edition is an Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky finished in hand-selected red wine casks and bottled at 50 %.

The release marks Big Peat's fifteenth anniversary and consists, as always, solely of single malts from Islay. It is neither chill filtered nor coloured and arrives in a specially designed gift box containing fifteen facts about Big Peat, Islay and the whisky itself.

For the occasion Douglas Laing's blender assembled the finest Islay single malts and matured the greater part in hand-selected red wine casks. The result is a darker and more fruit driven Big Peat than the standard release.

Tasting notes

Nose

Bonfire smoke and dried seaweed meet dark berries, plum and a lightly tart wine note. A sweet edge of cane sugar sits under the smoke.

Palate

Powerful and round with blackberry, dark chocolate and salted liquorice. The red wine casks give a tannin edge that tightens the whisky halfway through, and the 50 % provides good drive.

Finish

Long with ash, dark berries and a dry, lightly bitter close.

Specifications

Name: Big Peat 15th Anniversary Limited Edition Douglas Laing Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky 50%
Bottler: Douglas Laing
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 50 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Finished in hand-selected red wine casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: 15th Anniversary Limited Edition
EAN no.: 5014218830873

Flavour profile

Peated · Red wine cask · Dark berries · Salt · Powerful

Investment potential

Medium: An anniversary bottling in limited numbers with special packaging and a cask programme that will not be repeated. Big Peat's special editions have historically been in demand and typically disappear from the market quickly.

Did you know?

The Big Peat character was drawn before the whisky existed. Douglas Laing had the figure first and then built the blend to match the fisherman they had imagined.

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The first chapter of a trilogy that began with a question: what happens to Islay smoke when it is left for a quarter of a century? The answer is not less smoke — it is smoke with manners.

The expert's description

Big Peat 25 years Vintage 1992 Gold Edition is an Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 52.1 % cask strength.

The whiskies were distilled in 1992 and bottled in 2017 in an outturn of 3,000 bottles. The release is neither chill filtered nor coloured and is the first of three in Douglas Laing's Vintage Series.

The Gold Edition opened a trilogy that continued with the Platinum Edition at 26 years and The Black Edition at 27 years. All three come from the same 1992 vintage and are built from some of Islay's most sought after single malts.

Tasting notes

Nose

Complex and nuanced. Smoke meets caramel and vanilla, with dried fruit, sea salt and a light medicinal tone behind.

Palate

Full and oily. Powerful peat smoke up front, balanced by honey and burnt sugar, followed by dark chocolate, leather and spice.

Finish

Long and warm, with peat and sweetness fading slowly. An elegant dryness of oak and nuts closes it.

Specifications

Name: Big Peat 25 years old Vintage 1992 Series No 1 Gold Edition Douglas Laing Blended Islay Malt Whisky 70 cl 52.1%
Bottler: Douglas Laing
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 25 years
ABV: 52.1 %
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 1992
Bottled: 2017
Number of bottles: 3,000
Edition: Vintage Series No 1 The Gold Edition

Flavour profile

Peated · Mature · Smoky · Sweet · Cask strength

Investment potential

High: The first release in a completed trilogy from the 1992 vintage, in an outturn of 3,000 bottles that will not be made again. Complete sets of the three editions are sought after by collectors, and the Gold Edition is the hardest of them to track down.

Did you know?

Cara Laing, whisky director at Douglas Laing, explained at the launch that the casks had been tasted year after year until the team felt the vatting was finally ready. The trilogy was not planned from the outset — it was decided along the way.

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The second chapter. Same 1992 vintage, one year longer in wood and a touch less strength. The Platinum Edition is the middle of the three — and the one where the balance between smoke and maturity sits closest.

The expert's description

Big Peat 26 years Vintage 1992 Platinum Edition is an Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 51.5 % cask strength.

The whiskies were distilled in 1992 and bottled in 2018 in an outturn of 3,000 bottles. The release is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

The Platinum Edition is the second in Douglas Laing's Vintage Series, between the Gold Edition at 25 years and The Black Edition at 27 years. All three are assembled from Islay's most sought after single malts of the same vintage.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dry ash, seaweed and salted liquorice. Beneath the smoke hide dried apricots, honey and a warm nuttiness.

Palate

Rich and broad with peat smoke, dark caramel and roasted malt. There is a mineral salt edge and a hint of leather that only comes with age.

Finish

Very long with dry smoke, cocoa and a sweet note that holds on for some time.

Specifications

Name: Big Peat 26 years old Vintage 1992 Series No 2 Platinum Edition DL Blended Islay Malt Whisky 70 cl 51.5%
Bottler: Douglas Laing
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 26 years
ABV: 51.5 %
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 1992
Bottled: 2018
Number of bottles: 3,000
Edition: Vintage Series No 2 The Platinum Edition

Flavour profile

Peated · Maritime · Mature · Nutty · Cask strength

Investment potential

High: The middle release in a completed trilogy of 3,000 bottles from the 1992 vintage. Complete sets of all three editions are difficult to assemble, and demand for mature Islay whisky has been rising for years.

Did you know?

All three editions in the trilogy were bottled in exactly 3,000 bottles, regardless of age. Douglas Laing had the cask volumes planned from the moment the series was decided.

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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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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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Douglas Laing's Christmas release has never been the soft, cosy type. It is the one that comes in from the cold in a wet coat smelling of bonfire — the 2016 edition in particular.

The expert's description

Big Peat Christmas Edition 2016 is an Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 54.6 % cask strength.

The blend consists solely of single malts from Islay, and the Christmas release is traditionally bottled stronger than the standard version. The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

The Christmas Edition has been a fixed annual event at Douglas Laing since Big Peat was launched in 2009. Every edition has its own strength and its own composition, and they are bottled only in the year they are named after.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dried seaweed, bonfire smoke and ash with a pronounced medicinal note. Sweet malt, vanilla and a touch of spice keep it from turning cold, and a freshness of citrus and pepper lifts it.

Palate

Powerful and warm with clear peat smoke, salty sea air and a marked ash profile. Black pepper, liquorice, toasted barley and a hint of caramel step forward, and the 54.6 % is well integrated.

Finish

Long, dry and smoky with persistent ash, pepper and a salty minerality.

Specifications

Name: Big Peat Christmas Edition 2016 Douglas Laing Islay Blended Malt Whisky 54.6%
Bottler: Douglas Laing
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 54.6 %
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Bottled: 2016
Edition: Christmas Edition 2016

Flavour profile

Peated · Maritime · Cask strength · Ashy · Spicy

Investment potential

Medium: A vintage-specific Christmas release bottled only in 2016 and never repeated. Older Christmas Editions are becoming harder to find, and complete vintage runs are in demand among Big Peat collectors.

Did you know?

Big Peat's Christmas release is the only one in the range that changes strength every year. That makes it possible to identify the vintage from the strength alone — 54.6 % can only be 2016.

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Half a percentage point below the year before, but an entirely different mood in the glass. The 2017 edition has more sea and less bonfire — a Christmas dram for anyone who would rather stand on the pier than sit by the fire.

The expert's description

Big Peat Christmas Edition 2017 is an Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 54.1 % cask strength.

The blend is assembled from single malts from Ardbeg, Caol Ila, Bowmore and Port Ellen and bottled as a small batch without chill filtration and without added colour.

In the Christmas editions Douglas Laing emphasise the maritime side of Islay, and the 2017 vintage is a clear example: salt, seaweed and cold sea air take up more room than the dry ash.

Tasting notes

Nose

Salt and bitter peat with heavy smoke, yet bright enough for citrus to break through. Seaweed and wet stone sit beneath it all.

Palate

Peat from the first drop, with shifting layers of oil and salt turning into light vanilla and spice. There is a clear sea flavour, put there on purpose.

Finish

Long and persistent with smoke, salt and a dry peppery close.

Specifications

Name: Big Peat Christmas Edition 2017 Douglas Laing Islay Blended Malt Whisky 54.1%
Bottler: Douglas Laing
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 54.1 %
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Bottled: 2017
Edition: Christmas Edition 2017

Flavour profile

Peated · Maritime · Salt · Spicy · Cask strength

Investment potential

Medium: The Christmas editions are bottled only in the year they are named after, and the 2017 vintage has long been discontinued. Older Christmas Editions grow steadily scarcer as the bottles are drunk.

Did you know?

Port Ellen, part of the blend, closed in 1983 and lay silent for more than forty years. Every bottle of Big Peat containing Port Ellen therefore holds whisky from a distillery that in practice did not exist when the bottle was filled.

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The colour is paler than you would guess, and the nose recalls soot on the inside of a wood burner's glass. The eleventh time Douglas Laing sent Big Peat on his Christmas holiday — and still no sign of him settling down.

The expert's description

Big Peat Christmas Edition 2021 is an Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 52.8 % cask strength.

It is the eleventh edition in Douglas Laing's Christmas series, assembled from single malts from Ardbeg, Caol Ila, Bowmore and Port Ellen. The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

The Christmas release is bottled every year at cask strength and with its own composition, and the 2021 vintage is among the paler in colour — a sign that bourbon leaning casks dominate the vatting.

Tasting notes

Nose

Soot and stove glass, dried seaweed and a sharp medicinal edge. Under the smoke sit lemon, vanilla and a light sweetness.

Palate

High-octane peat smoke with sea salt, pepper and toasted barley. The 52.8 % gives a firm grip, and a dry, almost chalky minerality runs through the middle.

Finish

Long and dry with ash, salt and a hint of vanilla at the end.

Specifications

Name: Big Peat Christmas Edition 2021 Douglas Laing Blended Malt Whisky 52.8%
Bottler: Douglas Laing
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 52.8 %
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Bottled: 2021
Edition: Christmas Edition 2021

Flavour profile

Peated · Ashy · Salt · Mineral · Cask strength

Investment potential

Medium: A vintage release that will not be repeated, in the series with the most collectors among Big Peat's bottlings. Older Christmas editions are steadily harder to find unopened.

Did you know?

The Christmas series began in 2011, which makes the 2021 edition the eleventh in the row. Douglas Laing have continued the tradition every single year without skipping one.

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For the first time in the history of the Christmas series, Big Peat was given a spell in sherry wood. Smoke met raisin, and the result became the most Christmassy version the fisherman has ever been allowed to carry.

The expert's description

Big Peat Christmas Edition 2023 is an Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky finished in sherry casks and bottled at 54.8 % cask strength.

It is the first time in the history of the Christmas series that Big Peat has been given a sherry finish. The blend is assembled from single malts from Ardbeg, Bowmore, Caol Ila and Port Ellen, and the whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Douglas Laing have bottled a Christmas Edition every year since 2011, always at cask strength and always with its own composition. The 2023 vintage stands out through its cask programme rather than through its strength.

Tasting notes

Nose

Raisin and dark syrup meet bonfire smoke and dried seaweed. A warm spice edge of clove and cinnamon fits December neatly.

Palate

Powerful and sweet with dried fruit, dark chocolate and salted liquorice. The sherry gives body, and the 54.8 % keeps the smoke forward so it never turns cloying.

Finish

Long with sweet smoke, raisin and a dry ashy close.

Specifications

Name: Big Peat Christmas Edition 2023 Douglas Laing Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky 54.8%
Bottler: Douglas Laing
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 54.8 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Finished in sherry casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Bottled: 2023
Edition: Christmas Edition 2023
EAN no.: 5014218828016

Flavour profile

Peated · Sherry matured · Sweet · Spicy · Cask strength

Did you know?

It took twelve Christmas editions before Douglas Laing tried sherry casks on Big Peat. Until 2023 the series had stuck to the clean, undressed Islay profile every single year.

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Big Peat Winter Edition Madeira Cask Douglas Laing Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky 53.6%

Big Peat Winter Edition Madeira Cask 53.6% is a powerful and characterful Islay blended malt, crafted by Douglas Laing as a seasonal release with a vinous twist.

This winter edition is composed exclusively of single malts from Islay – including Caol Ila, Bowmore, Ardbeg, and rare drops from Port Ellen – and is finished in casks that previously held sweet Madeira wine. The combination of maritime Islay notes and fruity wine maturation creates a complex and warming whisky, ideal for colder months.

The nose opens with sweet malt and salty sea air, followed by notes of salted caramel, vanilla, and dense peat smoke. The palate is robust and full-bodied with molasses, crème brûlée, bitter orange peel, and a distinct phenolic depth. The Madeira cask adds a subtle fruity sweetness that balances the intense smoke. The finish is long, intense, and smoky with citrus and spicy oak.

The whisky is bottled at natural cask strength of 53.6%, non-chill filtered and with no added colour. Big Peat Winter Edition Madeira Cask is an expressive dram with both edge and finesse – a perfect choice for collectors and peat lovers seeking something special for the winter season.

Distillery: Douglas Laing
Age: NA
Type: Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
Cask type: Madeira Cask Finish
ABV: 53.6%
Un-chillfiltered
Natural Colour
70 cl
Other: New release replacing the Christmas Edition – Limited Edition – Read more in our blog