Big Peat The European Football Edition

Big Peat The European Football Edition, a Douglas Laing vatting of Islay malts, holds Port Ellen among its components. It is built to show the big, smoky heart of Islay in a single glass. It carries a piece of closed distillery Islay in every bottle.

It brings together single malts from across Islay rather than one distillery alone. Built without an age statement, Port Ellen lends the vatting a graceful, maritime smoke. An American oak cask shaped it, lending only a light sweetness under the smoke. Refill wood flatters Port Ellen, holding back the vanilla so the smoke and citrus speak. Bottlings carrying closed distillery malt grow rarer each year. Douglas Laing has long specialised in the malts of the islands. A dram built for those who take their whisky smoky. The Port Ellen within ties it to one of Islay's lost legends.

At its natural 53.3% it is rich and briny. Lemon zest and coastal salt ride on embers of Islay peat, with a quiet sweetness from the refill cask. It is structured and a touch austere, the refill oak keeping it lean. A long, briny finish smoulders to the end. A bold Islay blended malt carrying a thread of legendary Port Ellen.