Big Peat

Douglas Laing & Co was founded in 1948 by Fred Douglas Laing and remains family-owned today — currently run by Fred Laing Jr and his daughter Cara. The company is known for bottling whisky as the distillers intended: at full strength, non-chill filtered, without added colour. Big Peat was the inaugural release in the Remarkable Regional Malts series in 2009, a line celebrating Scotland's distinct whisky regions.

This is a pure Islay blend: exclusively malts from the island's distilleries — Ardbeg, Caol Ila, Bowmore, and Port Ellen. The makeup uses refill bourbon casks and ex-sherry casks, contributing vanilla, coconut, honey, and caramel alongside the darker fruit and structural depth that sherry maturation brings.

On the nose, Big Peat is unmistakably Islay: peat smoke and seaweed upfront, but also vanilla and a subtle honey sweetness beneath. The palate delivers smoky earth, vegetal peat, a briny edge, and liquorice, finishing with ash and sweet smoke tempered by white pepper. A whisky that commits fully to its character.