Big Peat Feis Ile 2016

Douglas Laing released a limited edition of their Big Peat blended malt for the Islay festival that starts today and continues next week (20-28 May).

Big Peat Feis Ile has an updated packaging which features Islay’s most notable landmarks. The round church at Bowmore and Port Ellen’s Kildalton Cross feature amongst a collage of travel stamps, in a colourful, hand-drawn design with Big Peat himself at the forefront.

The liquid inside has the same style, but this time he’s bottled at higher strength for an even punchier peat hit. Only 500 bottles are available at the festival but also from global retailers.

Big Peat – Feis Ile 2016 (48%, Douglas Laing 2016, 500 btl.)

Nose: ticks all the typical boxes. A lemon and salt combo, ashes, hints of iodine and smoked fish. This one seems quite fresh and citrusy, but with the typical youngish notes as well, kind of an artificial fruitiness. After some time it shows nice eucalyptus / herbal notes.

Mouth: good attack, quite rounded but not too sweet. Earthy peat and brine, hints of cold smoke, pepper and these fresh lemony notes again. Lots of plain malty notes too.

Finish: quite long, ashy and grassy, with white pepper.

Very well composed. You get elements of different distilleries (Caol Ila and Bowmore seem to be the loudest here) yet they’re well integrated. Not necessarily better than the normal version, and similarly light-headed. Just a collector’s item, I guess. Around € 55.

Score: 85/100