Strongly-peated strongly-oaked strong scotch ale (SPSOSSA)

Grain Colour (L) Amount (kg) Amount (lbs) %
american 2-row 1.8 4.00 8.8 50.0
Caramel 120L 120 1.00 2.2 12.5
Carastan malt 34 1.00 2.2 12.5
Biscuit malt 25 1.00 2.2 12.5
Peat-smoked malt 3 0.50 1.1 6.3
Flaked oatmeal 2.2 0.50 1.1 6.3

Mash schedule
grain: 8kg/17.6lb
2-step infusion
Protein rest:
ratio 2L/kg (.96qt/lb) @60.0*C (140.0*F) stabilize to 54.0*C (129.2*F) hold for 30min
Saccrification rest:
ratio 1L/kg (.48qt/lb) @100.0*C (212.0*F) stabilize to 66.0*C (150.8*F) hold for 60min
Mash out: none
Sparging:
ratio 3L/kg (1.44qt/lb) @85.0*C

Sugar Colour (L) Amount (kg) Amount (lbs) %
Corn sugar 0 .5 1.1 100

Hops
Northern Brewer (US) 8.7% 1.00oz @ 60min 24.9 IBU

Other
Irish moss 1 ts, 15 minutes

Cooled wort tasted like burnt caramel
Make starter and pitch
Ferment for 14 days
Rack to secondary for 3 month on 80g (2.82oz) of oak chips (soaked in Glenfidich Single Malt Scotch for 1 month), you may find that it's alot, but it's ok for me
Bottled with 120g (4.23oz) of corn sugar

Brewed this in June, bottled in September. Took my first taste yesterday - WOW. This is at least as good as any commercial wee heavy I've ever had. Thanks for the recipe.

I'm working up peated Scottish (i.e. ~6% ABV) ale recipe, and liked what you did here. I also have the caramel 120, peated malt, and flaked oat. But two questions about your recipe.
1) I've never brewed with Carastan before - what contribution were you looking for with this as compared to British crystal?
2) I'm still dialing in my oaking techniques, and I would assume that 3 months on oak would draw a lot of tanic properties from the chips. Did you sense that, or does the peat hide it? Or did the Scotch soaking eliminate those properties?

Cheers!