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Review of the Big Peat
Winter Edition 2026 10 Year Old Islay
whisky finished in French red wine
casks.
Douglas Laing has brought back Big Peat
Winter Edition for 2026, with the
seasonal Islay blended malt returning
with an age statement for the first
time.
The Big Peat Winter Edition 2026 10
Year Old Islay blended malt Scotch
whisky has been bottled at 48% ABV and
it has been given a 16-month finish in
hand-selected French red wine casks,
introducing additional layers of fruit
and sweetness to Big Peat's familiar
combination of peat smoke and earthy
Islay character.
Big Peat has long been one of the
best-known expressions in Douglas
Laing's Remarkable Regional Malts range,
representing the distinctive whisky
character of Islay. The blended malt
brings together whisky from several
Islay single malts, with the 2026 Winter
Edition continuing that smoky island
style while introducing the influence of
French red wine casks.
The Winter Edition first appeared in
2025 as a replacement for the former Big
Peat Christmas Edition. For 2026,
Douglas Laing has returned with a second
seasonal release and added a 10 Year Old
age statement to the bottle.
The whisky has spent its final 16 months
in French red wine casks, creating a
contrast between Big Peat's naturally
smoky and earthy character and the
richer fruit notes contributed by the
wine casks.
Cara Laing, Managing Director of Douglas
Laing, said: "Big Peat’s Winter Edition
continues to explore the harmony between
smoke and sweetness. The Red Wine cask
finish enhances his rich, earthy
character with a vibrant fruitiness -
creating a dram that feels both powerful
and perfectly suited to winter."
Big Peat Winter Edition 2026 10
Year Old Red Wine Cask Finish
The addition of a 10 Year Old age
statement is one of the defining
features of the 2026 Winter Edition.
Beneath the seasonal presentation, the
whisky retains the signature
characteristics associated with Big
Peat: Islay peat smoke, earthy malt and
a robust maritime style.
The 16-month French red wine cask finish
adds another dimension, bringing
fruit-forward sweetness and richer
flavours of dark fruit, chocolate and
toffee to the whisky.
Bottled at 48% ABV, the Big Peat Winter
Edition 2026 is also presented without
added colouring or chill-filtration.
This allows the whisky to retain its
natural appearance and character while
giving the red wine cask influence a
prominent role in the finished
expression.
Big Peat Winter Edition and Scallywag
Winter Edition 2026
Big Peat is joined in Douglas Laing's
2026 seasonal range by the
Scallywag Winter Edition 2026 Cognac
Cask Finish, another
limited-edition regional malt.
The two whiskies take very different
approaches to the winter release.
Scallywag represents Speyside and has
been finished in Cognac casks, with a
flavour profile centred around orchard
fruits, honeyed malt, vanilla, dark
chocolate and warming spice.
Big Peat, meanwhile, remains firmly
rooted in Islay, with its smoky and
earthy character balanced by the
fruit-driven influence of the French red
wine cask finish.
The Big Peat Winter Edition 2026 has a
suggested retail price of £65.00 / €74.00.
The limited-edition release is presented
in a matching gift box, making it
suitable both for collectors and whisky
drinkers looking for a seasonal Islay
dram. You can read my thoughts on the
Big Peat Winter Edition 2026 10 Year Old
Islay whisky finished in French red wine
casks below and you will
find it available from specialist online whisky
shops such as
The Whisky Exchange
and
Master of Malt
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