Big Peat Sinterklaas Edition Review: Is That the Peat on the Horizon?

Saint Nicholas is almost in town, and Douglas Laing has bottled something special for dear whisky lovers: the Big Peat Sinterklaas Edition. Curious what treats Big Peat brings to the festive season? You’ll find out in this 'Big Peat Sinterklaas Edition' whisky review.

Sometimes bottlers and whisky makers do something special for the holidays. Usually that means a Christmas edition of a whisky, but not this time. Douglas Laing has released a Sinterklaas edition for the very first time.

This peated blend of Islay whiskies has been given a special look for the good saint, and that’s not all. The whisky also enjoyed a tasty finish in sherry casks. The result is a smoky spirit with a fruity twist.

The packaging of Douglas Laing’s special Big Peat is done entirely in Sinterklaas style. It’ll have you slipping straight into the holiday spirit.

The Big Peat tube is black, featuring a large image of Big Peat with a snowy Amsterdam in the background. You’ll also spot Sinterklaas’s horse, a stack of gifts, and of course the good saint himself.

The bottle carries the same image, with a fun twist: it also lists tasting notes that include chimney smoke and steamboat spices. A great touch but how does the whisky actually taste?

Swirl the whisky in your glass and the smoky notes rise up immediately. Nothing unusual for Big Peat. It doesn’t scream chimney smoke from the get-go, though there are pronounced sooty tones at first.

For smoke lovers, this is a celebration. The smoke is followed by notes of sea air, baking spices, layers of toffee, overripe peach, warm cherries, and, in the background, darker fruits.

From the first sip, the whisky makes its mark. Big Peat is immensely powerful. Unlike Sinterklaas and his helpers, it doesn’t bother to knock. It bursts out of the gate with heavy smoke, ash, and deeper sherry notes.

Then come flavours of baked cherries, raisins, and sweeter fruit, with a hint of spice that keeps building. Eventually the spice spreads wide across the palate, while the peat smoke remains unrelenting.

In the finish, the intensity of Big Peat slowly ebbs, but the warmth lingers pleasantly. Long after your sip, the memory of that sooty Islay chimney still hangs around.

This Big Peat spoils you if you’re into smoke, which is exactly what you’d expect from Islay’s rugged fisherman. With this special edition, Douglas Laing delivers a fine whisky wrapped in festive charm. The only question is: have you put out your shoe yet?

+ A smoky Big Peat from A to Z

+ Sherry adds an intriguing mix

+ The label alone makes it a great gift

- But where are the ginger nuts?