Apologies for the very, very late birthday congratulations. The Big Peat 10 Years Old, bottled for the tenth anniversary of the Big Peat brand, was released in April. A belated happy birthday is in order!
Big Peat was the first region-focused blended malt Douglas Laing brought to market, which then led to the creation of the successful Remarkable Regional Malts, now containing brands that highlight Speyside, the Highlands and Lowlands, the Islands, and Campbeltown.
Big Peat 10 Years Old (46%, OB, 2019)
Nose: Really savoury, with a good amount of salty sea spray, and whispers of fruit (lemon, banana). Slightly earthy too. The wood smoke is very present, yet subtle and never too intrusive.
Taste: Oily and creamy, with a hint of olive brine, but also citrus, licorice root, and a good amount of wood smoke, with subtle peat. Also a fair pinch of sea salt.
Finish: Ashy, salty and smoky. Long.
Score: 87
Pretty elegant compared to some of the NAS releases, which depending on your preference is either a positive or a negative. I like it, and this release is certainly on par with the high overall quality of Big Peat in general.
