26 December 2019

Compass Box Flaming Heart 2018


So far the only Compass Box blends I’ve gone for are Peat Monster and the No Names. I was ordering some samples and this was available as such so I figured, “why not?” since the more you get the more cost effective shipping from Europe to the United States is.
Compass Box Flaming Heart 2018 (6th edition), Scotland Blend, 48.9% ABV
Minutia: This is a doozy. As always Compass Box is super transparent about what’s in that bottle, and this has quite the mix:
*39% Caol Ila, refill barrel
*29% Deanston, refill hogsheads
*11% Clynelish, re-charred hogsheads
*8% Highland malt blend (60% Clynelish, 20% Dailuaine, 20% Teaninich), vatted then matured in custom French oak casks with heavy toast
*7% Highland malt blend (including Glen Ord, Benrinnes, and Allt-a-Bhainne), in a mixture of first fill Sherry butts, custom French oak casks, and refill American oak barrels
*6% Clynelish, refill hogsheads
Enjoyed neat in a glencairn, rested 10 minutes.
Color: A darker white wine.
Nose: Fruit on the pour. Smoky fruit, apple, green wood.
Taste: Peaty malt, some peppery feel.
Finish: Long but low-powered.
Really nice smoke/peat. I’d have liked to taste more of the fruit I smelled. Even so, I really enjoyed this - it’s a real shame this isn’t part of their regular lineup. If they could source enough of the components to make it more regularly available (and priced more modestly) that would be a wonderful thing for people who like whisky, though I suppose there is something to the scarcity that might make it a bit more special.
Score: 83

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