Douglas Laing celebrates Big Peat’s 10th birthday

Independent Scotch whisky bottler Douglas Laing is marking a decade of Big Peat with a commemorative 10-year-old blended malt.

Big Peat 10 Years Old has been bottled at a “punchy” 46% abv and is described as being “packed with sooty, smoky, leathery charm”. The expression is a blend of single malts distilled on Islay, with no chill filtration or caramel colouring added. The whisky was inspired by a vintage scrap book, and as such the label boasts a collection of emblems, stamps and hand-drawn illustrations of Islay. Each bottle comes with a platinum-foiled story book inside an envelope, which tells the story of Big Peat and his whisky adventures. Big Peat 10 Years Old is available from specialist retailers across the UK, Europe and Asia at an RRP of £65 (US$83). A total of 850 cases will be released globally. Fred Laing, Douglas Laing chairman, said: “Back in 2009, I dreamt up a feisty Ileach fisherman who would later become Big Peat, a brand that would grow at an average of 29% year on year, and subsequently be joined by Scallywag, Timorous Beastie, Rock Oyster, The Epicurean and The Gauldrons to deliver what we so modestly designate our Remarkable Regional Malts: The Ultimate Distillation of Scotland’s Malt Whisky Regions. “I’m delighted to see Big Peat continue to grow and to see him develop such a loyal band of followers around the world – this special bottling is a fitting tribute to him.” Douglas Laing celebrated its 70^th anniversary last year, with several special releases – including a 1982 vintage Port Ellen. For an in-depth look into the history of the whisky bottler, see the February issue of The Spirits Business magazine, out now.