A folksy fella, Big Peat is not one to celebrate the annual Islay festival by himself. So he invited his friends from all across the globe to party with him. And more than 400 of them answered the bearded Ileach’s call! Their faces can now be seen on the tube of the new Big Peat Feis Ile 2019 limited edition. As in 2017, when good ol’ Peat arranged the first gathering of such nature, my girlfriend Dini and I have joined the fun as well. If you are curious to find us, we are on the left-hand side of the front print, five spots above Timorous Beastie. Admittedly, this makes me a little biased in regard to this bottling. After all, I do not often get to enjoy a dram whose tube sports my likeness. On the other hand, I would never have submitted Dini and my photo in the first place if we had not already been friends of Big Peat anyway. So I guess all’s good. One way or another, have fun reading my notes for this potent Islay whisky below… ideally while sipping a peaty pour from the dignified Queen of the Hebrides!

by Tobi

Eye: Light and pale.
Nose: One sniff and the direction is clear: Big Peat Feis Ile 2019 is a straight-forward, no bullsquash Islay malt. It is salty and smoky with pronounced barbecue aromas and an underlying freshness. It offers smoked mackerel, bonfire twigs, freshly painted wood and fumy peat smoke. Vanilla, pastry and dewy grass are part of the mix as well. A powerful peat reek, for sure!
Palate: Oh yes! This whisky surely lives up to its name! There is a lot of sweet pipe smoke and earthy peat smoke in it. On the tongue, I also sense a medical iodine note that I did not find in the nose. The strong, eclectic peatiness is accompanied by vanilla, licorice, baked goods and mushy apples.
Finish: The finish is good and long – like the embers of a fire that just won’t die. There is smoke, vanilla, meat, herbs and a drop of honey in it. I drank my first-ever dram of Big Peat Feis Ile 2019 on a Wednesday night before I went to bed. It might have been my mind playing tricks on me, but it felt as if remnants of the peat were still there even after I had brushed my teeth.

Type: Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
Region: Scotland (Islay)
Age: No Age Statement
Alc. volume: 48%
# of bottles: 3,300
Bottle size: 0.7 litres
Price range: ~60.00 Euro
More info: http://www.douglaslaing.com/ (Bottler) ; http://www.bremerspirituosencontor.de/ (Importer)