Big Peat The Vienna Edition #2

Big Peat The Vienna Edition #2, from Douglas Laing, vats Islay's smoky malts with Port Ellen at its core. It gathers Islay's smoky malts into a rich, coastal blended malt. Big Peat has appeared in countless editions for markets and festivals.

The category marries malts from different distilleries, here the peated malts of Islay. Built without an age statement, the rare Port Ellen at its heart brings a structured, briny smoke. An ex-Bourbon cask shaped it, soft refill oak that lets the smoke lead. Years by the Atlantic give the malt its briny, oily weight. A modern Islay dram with a thread of the past inside. The Islay malts give it a smoke quite unlike a mainland blend. Vattings like this let the smoky malts of Islay shine together. The peat is the point here, drawn from Islay's smoky distilleries. Bottlings carrying closed distillery malt grow rarer each year.

At 48%, undiluted, it is bold and smoky. A gently medicinal smoke runs over lemon peel and sea brine, with light oak sweetness underneath. The mouthfeel is oily, the smoke carried on a waxy body. Embers and sea salt see out a long finish. A smoky, characterful blended malt built on Islay peat and Port Ellen.