Douglas Laing’s Big Peat The Smokehouse Edition Feis Ile 2023

My first review of a Douglas Laing whisky comes with a first for the company’s Big Peat whisky. This Big Peat whisky bottled for Feis Ile 2023 is the first Big Peat release to be finished in red wine casks. On the case and bottle, you will notice the word predominantly used to describe how this whisky was finished in red wine casks, which sounds like an inclusion for legal reasons to me. I’ll interpret predominantly to mean the majority of the whiskies included in this blend were finished in red wine. What is unknown is what whiskies were included that were not finished in red wine casks as part of creating this blended whisky.

For those unfamiliar, Douglas Laing has been an independent bottler of whisky since 1948. Since 2009, Douglas Laing has partnered with the following Islay distilleries to produce the Big Peat whisky: Ardbeg, Port Ellen, Bowmore, and Caol Ila.

This will be the first time I have ever tried a Big Peat whisky as it is not something you would expect to find in U.S. bars or liquor stores. My hope is this release of Big Peat is similar to the Ardbeg Blaaack, which was matured in New Zealand Pinot Noir casks. At the prices I paid for both, this whisky would be roughly $113 cheaper and accessible outside of auctions than the Blaaack whisky. The Ardbeg Blaaack release is fantastic though, so it’s a tough comparison to live up to.

I am always excited when red wine casks are used for whisky maturation though. When done right, you get a whisky that is sweet, but not too sweet and also allows other flavors from the whisky to stand out as well. I look forward to seeing if Douglas Laing pulled it off for its Feis Ile 2023 release.

The Basics

Aged: Unknown

Bottles available: Unknown

Casks: Red wine

ABV: 48%

Color: Amber

Nose: Smoke, salt, jerky, butter

Cost: $141.13 ($63.14 for shipping)

Purchased at: The Whisky Exchange

Taste

The first sip gives a very sweet cherry taste that is followed by a light taste of butterscotch and vanilla. The taste of cherry is present throughout the entire time drinking this dram, and the whisky itself is pretty light in texture.

The finish is not very smoky, but it is a very interesting peaty finish. It is more comparable to a dying campfire with wet wood rather than a burn that is still rising.

When comparing it to the Ardbeg Blaaack, this whisky is a lot sweeter and less smoky. While not as dominant, the sweet flavors from the Blaaack are also a drier, and it packs a much stronger smoky finish.

Neat or With Water

I found adding water to this whisky did enhance the smoky flavor from the whisky, but it comes at the expense of the sweeter cherry flavor. I do not have a strong preference on whether to drink this one neat or with water as it is interesting with both options. If you prefer a sweeter, less smoky whisky, drinking neat would be a good option. For those who want less cherry flavor and a stronger peaty taste, adding some water will help deliver that.

Summary

Accessibility: I have yet to see any Big Peat whiskies for sale in the Chicago area. My thought is your best bet is to buy through online retailers like The Whisky Exchange. I also have not seen this whisky appear in whisky auctions. What is unknown is the amount of bottles made available, but it still seems to be available through many online stores at this time. I think this one will continue to be available for the foreseeable future.

EDIT (9/4/23): I was contacted by Big Peat’s Instagram account after I wrote this post, and they clarified that Big Peat is distributed to the United States. If you are looking for Big Peat whisky in your area, I would encourage you to reach out to Big Peat directly via social media channels. They were very helpful and said they would provide Chicago stores selling Big Peat. Thanks to them!

Price: If shipping were not a factor, this would be a very reasonably priced bottle. However, the challenge with buying any whisky in the United States is getting it here if you cannot find it locally. When you factor in shipping costs and the overall market for this whisky, $141.13 seems like a pretty good price for this whisky. I have seen this whisky being sold for $60 on the low end and $225 on the high end without shipping factored in.

Quality: What I find really interesting about this whisky is how versatile it is. If you want to drink it sweeter and less smoky, drink it neat. If you want stronger peat flavor and more subdued sweet flavors, just add a bit of water. The lower ABV allows is to be a bit smoother in taste, and you definitely get strong flavors from the red wine cask finish.

Score: 7/10 (See our scoring system explanation)

Whatever predominantly means with regard to this whisky, I did enjoy how it turned out. The strong cherry flavor worked very nicely with the butterscotch, vanilla, and peat flavors.

The price of this whisky is also very reasonable at a time when limited releases are sold on the low end for at least $100. What is disappointing is that this whisky is not very accessible in the United States unless you have it shipped from a online seller based in Europe.

It holds up very nicely against my personal favorite red wine-matured whisky, the Ardbeg Blaaack. While not as smooth or balanced in flavors, the Big Peat Feis Ile 2023 release still offers great flavors and is much cheaper than the Blaaack. This whisky offers an interesting cask selection at an affordable price which makes it worth a try in my opinion. While it’s not a whisky I will go out of my way to seek out, I would happily enjoy another bottle of it after finishing my current one.