Douglas Laing Big Peat Fèis ìle 2022 Beach BBQ Edition
54.2% ABV - Islay, Scotland
Nose: Tarry, chocolatey peat smoke. Iodine and coal briquettes. Light vegetal notes with celery root and forest floor.
Taste: Sweet oranges and fresh wood mulling in a vat of liquid smoke. There are some nondescript orchard fruits and slightly minerality leading into the finish.
Finish: Sweet and spicy with some chilli heat and plenty of smoke. Medium-long.
I really enjoy having a bottle (or two or three) of Big Peat on hand. Although there are nuances between releases, especially with the Fèis Ìle editions, it is one of those whiskies where you know what to expect: a heavily peated malt with a backbone of peat and dustings of peat.
After buying a number of the Christmas Editions, I have started to focus my Big Peat spending on their age statement and the Fèis Ìle editions. As many whisky enthusiasts find out, at a certain point you cannot finish a bottle before the next one is released… so buying one Big Peat per year is proving faster than I can drink them! I’ll likely put a hiatus on purchasing more until I’m down to only a couple of Big Peats. I have to keep my Big Peat infinite bottle going, you see…
As I alluded to, there might only be slight differences between releases that are only apparent when you are tasting side-by-side… and that is what I am doing today! This dram was tasted before I poured some of the 2017 Fèis Ìle (that has been finished in Sherry casks), hence why I’m having this one first.
Details (Official): Come rain or shine, Big Peat’s Beach Barbecue Limited Edition is ready to celebrate Fèis Ìle 2022! Douglas Laing’s feisty Ileach fisherman is seriously committed to smoke and recommends pairing this Cask Strength bottling with well-charred meat to allow the juicy flavours the grill to enhance the spirit’s sweeter side, before packing a satisfyingly long and peaty finish.
Tasted 20 November 2023. (Posted 5 February 2024.)
