53,1°
Distillery : Ardbeg, Bowmore, Caol Ila, Port Ellen - Islay
Ex-Bourbon Casks
Independent Bottling
By Douglas Laing & Co.
Limited Edition
Blended Malt
Bottled in 2020
Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength
Peated around 40 ppm
I've been following every Big Peat Christmas Edition release for a few years now, and because of the pandemic, I'd missed this Batch. So I jumped at the chance to grab a sample as soon as I could, to see if this one is the same as the others. This is Batch 101 from Big Peat, a brand that is supposed to represent Islay within the Remarkable Regional Malts, and it's the 10th Christmas Edition since 2011. It seems that no other one of the 4 announced distilleries was used, so Ardbeg, Bowmore, Caol Ila and Port Ellen were called upon to produce this Blended Malt, one of the most famous on the whisky planet. On the label, Pete is dressed up as Father Christmas, which should be added to the long list of abuses inflicted on him.
Let's Taste It :
Thick, stringy smoke, Ardbeguish, almost suffocating. A hint of honey and lemon, fairly strong iodine, caolilesque, with seaweed and kelp galore. Mirabelle plum, banana, exotic fruits in a Bowmore sauce. Haribo sweets, vanilla cake. Gradually, iodine takes over from peat. Velvety on the palate, rosewater, icing sugar, and very quickly violent spices, cloves, grey pepper, nutmeg. Vanilla and apple, then a fairly long finish, not so explosive, a shovelful of ash, coal, cola, resin, tobacco. Slight woodiness at the end. A touch of bitterness.
In Short,
This one seemed even smokier than usual, and therefore less fruity. On the palate, you can feel the product's youth, but it's still quite well done. It's one hell of a smoke uppercut each time, with a finish that could wake the dead. It's clear that it's not going to play nice, it's dirty for sure. What's more, the price is very attractive, so if you're a fan of the profile, don't hesitate to go for it.
Score : 88
To Be Listened While Sipping :
Esben and the Watch - No Dog
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