Douglas Laing Big Peat Christmas 2015

A Tasty Dram Whisky Blog tasting notes

Holidays are coming!

Big Peat's Christmas edition is already up to its 5th edition. This festive edition from Douglas Laing's popular Islay blended malt is bottled at cask strength and features Big Peat in his Santa outfit on a peat driven sleigh.

Douglas Laing's describes Big Peat Christmas as a shovelful of the finest festive Malts from the Whisky island of Islay, including Ardbegg-nog, Coal Ila, Snowmore and Party Ellen. Pretty hard to beat that piece of copywriting, isn't it?


Identity Card Douglas Laing Big Peat Christmas 2015

Douglas Laing Big Peat Christmas 2015
  • Big Peat small batch Christmas 2015 edition
  • Douglas Laing
  • NAS blended Islay malts
  • Alcohol: 53.8% ABV

Tasting notes

Colour: A pale yellow coloured peaty dram. Pinot gris by the looks and leaving thin and swift legs on the glass.

Nose: Young and sweet and sour. Lots of green notes: green apple, green banana and green chillies. Smoked pepper and agave. I love these mezcal flavours. White chocolate with pepper and honey. Bandages with citrus perfume. A smoky mist strolling over a white chocolate beach.
With water the strong alcohol flavours are reduced. Agave syrup and sweet malt. Smoke wood and a smouldering coal fire.

Taste: Sweet smoked peppers on the palate. Apricots, vanilla and roasted malt. Liquorice rolls and fennel seed.
Mixed with a few drops of water this becomes a sweet peaty dram. Aniseed, vanilla and icing sugar.

Finish: A warm salted ham with green herbs. A scent of poster paint lingers in the glass.

Douglas Laing Big Peat Christmas 2015


Price: €55 - €65 / £50 

Let's keep this short. I wouldn't mind finding this small batch Big Peat in my Christmas stocking. The Christmas edition is a big step up from the regular Big Peat blended malt I remember. Bold peaty flavours matching nicely with sweet chocolate notes.

Douglas Laing Big Peat Christmas 2015


Source and pictures: Douglas Laing

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