Big Peat Small Batch Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

Historically we would ball this – rather unusual – as vatted malt labels tend not to show any of the malts selected. But Big Peat is different in many ways and he highlights on the front of his bottle that each small batch bottling contains a shovelful of Ardbeg, Bowmore, Caol Ila, and even the rare Port Ellen Malt (whose distillery was closed in 1983) plus a couple of other peated distillates which will remain Gouglas Laing’s phenolic little secret.

But what exactly is a Vatted Malt? It is what the Scotch Whisky industry has traditionally called “a marriage of Malts”. Big Peat contains Malt Whisky ONLY from the island of Islay – some say it’s the ultimate taste of Islay! Big Peat is a feisty Islay character has a sweet side too – ‘he’ carries a big peaty (“phenolic”), beachy, oceanic, rather ashy selection of malts only from the island of Islay. We do not chill filter – we prefer a more old fashioned traditional approach – so you will detect a massive amplification of sea-faring qualities on the nose, palate, and finish…

Nose: Opens fresh, salty and clean – developing to malted barley dried over peat – with a damp earthy character.

Palate: Ashes, sweet tar, beaches and smoking chimneys.

Finish: Long and lingering, it replicates the palate with salty, tangy liquorice, smoke, bonfire ashes – being foremost: PHENOLIC.