Review 191
12/10/13
Compass
Box Peat Monster: 46% abv
Background: As a
huge swing from Spice Tree, Peat Monster takes on a completely differently angle
of Scotch with the darker side of peaty, powerful flavor. Compass Box has
proven to be good at this kind of thing, too, with their Flaming Heart being a
very popular, praised malt blend. This particular whisky sits at 46%, which we
are happy about, and is composed of 49% Islay malt, 30% Highland malt, and 21%
Island malt. The whisky is aged in virtually all new American oak casks, with
1% being exposed to French oak. And although we have a bottle of this, we
decided to open the vile and include it in our Compass Box series. Here are the
thoughts.
Straight
Nose: With a dry, malty peat aroma immediate on the
nose, it is clear that this will be a nice one. There is almost a smell of
baked bread in the nose, along with a slight saltiness and sea water. There is
a strong sense of oakiness on the arrival, which adds an element of intensity.
The nose seems almost completely void of any fruitiness, with a very subtle
hint of vanilla. Between leather, sawdust, and burnt wood, the dry style of the
aroma is noticeable. It appears in this case that the fresh wood has dominated
the aroma, because after opening up, it is difficult to pull more.
Arrival: The
Peat Monster does not disappoint, with a malty, heavily salty and smoky
arrival. It doesn’t taste overwhelming, and has a remarkable balance. There is
a strong seaweed-like flavor, with some clove and cinnamon spice really
blasting in. The oak is definitely present on the arrival, with a slight savory
meatiness developing late in the arrival.
Body: The
body takes on more of the salt and smoke body, while adding fresh tobacco into
the mix, much like the similar style of Kilchoman. The cinnamon and clove
really jump into the body, giving it the type of spicy, but smoky presence. It
is so rich in the body, making the whole event more dynamic.
Finish: Getting
into the finish, the smoke leaves its lasting impression as the Peat Monster
slumps away into the dark abyss. The Monster has left a nice blend of refined
saltiness, peat smoke, and smooth malt. In addition, small hints of fruitiness
actually start to emerge, perhaps in the wake of the Monster. There is actually
an interesting cayenne pepper heat to the finish, which is so unique to find in
a whisky. The finish is certainly earthy, with a strangely similar flavor to
agave hiding at the back of tongue. There is a slightly medicinal hint to the
end of the finish, with a dark, phenol quality to it.
With Water
Nose: Water
is a definite favor to the nose. The nose becomes more floral and sweet, adding
some sugarcane and grain notes that were harder to identify before. The peat
stays strong, due to the higher proof, and the whisky remains well balanced on
the nose. There is still no real sign of fruitiness in the aroma.
Arrival: The
arrival is much sweeter after adding water,
almost to a disappointing degree. The arrival is more mild and
controlled, and the peat backs off substantially. There is more vanilla, and
even a little bit of apple
Body: The
peatiness is still present in the body, with a grill smoke flavor and some
savory notes. The body has declined a lot in comparison to before.
Finish: The
spice in the finish is more pronounced, with more allspice than anything coming
through, and even some ginger to be noted. The finish tastes almost zesty at
this point, with a slightly Italian spice taste to it. The medicinal quality to
the finish is also enhanced in the finish, now bringing out a cough syrup like
flavor at the end.
Final Comments: Peat
Monster is very much like Spice Tree. It is not considered the most complex
whisky in the world, and certainly the nose proved to be highly disappointing.
That being said, this is a solid offering and offers a unique blend of
Kilchoman dry smokiness, and the salty intensity of Laphroaig. It is such a
lovely medley of peat flavor that any peat-happy malt drinker would appreciate
the hugeness of flavor. It seems like the whisky shouldn’t be exposed to a lot
of water, in order to retain the pure, natural flavors that it has to offer,
despite how it enhances the nose. Overall, a very solid offering in the world
of peated whisky, and worth the buy.
Why you’d buy it: A nice,
smoky offering from an innovative blender.
Why you wouldn’t: You
like more fruitiness to your peated whisky.
Score: 8.5/10
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