Compass Box Flaming Heart (Sixth Edition)

It's that special time again. Time for the folks at Compass Box Whisky to release another edition of Flaming Heart. This is their semi-annual, heavily peated blend meant to appease the “peat-heads” of the scotch world. It’s been 3 years since the last release, though- maybe the team has been getting stretched too thin with all the bespoke bottlings. Cut that out, lol. Anyway, this is the 6th Edition and they decided to add another layer to this blend by supplementing the blend with some sherried whisky. Why? I don’t have a clue- I just know the price has risen on this one by $20-25 and I don’t really like that. But, we’ll leave that gripe until the end. This one is pale yellow in the Glencairn and makes some watery legs and tiny drops on the rim. It’s bottled at 48.9% and, like all CBW blends, has no added color and isn’t chill filtered. The nose is ashtray smoke and fresh ground peppercorn up front- so strong I actually recoiled a bit when I first went in. There’s tar and alcohol steadily present and I got a bit of sweet vanilla over time- a lot of time, actually: 40 minutes or so. It took a long time for the fire to burn itself down. I’m not complaining, however, just documenting it. The palate brings more abrasive smoke and BBQ’d rubber (if that makes sense). The mouthcoat is still buttery with the faintest of sweetness finally bleeding through all the smoke and peat. Dried raisins is about all of the sherry influence I get despite there being almost 30% of the blend being sourced from sherry casked Deanston. The 40% from Caol Ila and 8% from the blended, French Oak casks are carrying the load here. As they should- this is meant to be a fireball of smoke and heat. It still predominately is, thankfully. The finish is long and smoky with more ashtray and burnt leather. It’s hot and dry and everything you love about true peat monsters (pun intended). Overall, these are still in my wheelhouse. The sherry influence escaped me here but I’m actually happy about that- well, except for the increase in price. I had to pay $130 for this bottle and I feel like that’s $30 too much. I miss my old $100 Flaming Hearts, I really do. I’ll also gladly forego the added sherry next time, thank you. But realistically, this is still a fantastic dram if you like your peat. 4.25 stars. Cheers.

Like many others, I admire Compass Box. Essentially all of their whiskies - core expressions, limited releases, those with peat or without, highly experimental or classic styles. While owning one of each would be ideal, Compass Box produces a considerable number of distinct whiskies (22 currently available, according to their website), with special editions having a fairly high rate of change. Therefore, I'm aiming to be somewhat discerning. I've had a particular interest in the Flaming Heart, so selecting it from the Franklin Room's menu was an easy choice. It met my expectations - peaty, bold, and with a pleasant fruit sweetness. There was no bitterness, no off-notes, and a nice smoky finish. Nevertheless, I truly wish I could have sampled it alongside the Peat Monster, which I recall as being quite similar and significantly less expensive. And at over $100, the Flaming Heart faces stiff competition from several other Compass Box offerings. So, is it worth purchasing? In the short term, I made the purchase decision the next day at Binny's in Lincoln Park (excellent advice from a friend). The Compass Box selection at Binny's was outstanding, as was the assortment of local craft whiskies and virtually everything else. Difficult choices were unavoidable. The Flaming Heart was on sale for $114, but ultimately, I selected two different Compass Box expressions - a first edition No Name, purely because of how highly the experts here praise it, and the Lost Blend, as it also has favorable reviews and I suspect it will offer a distinct profile compared to other peated Compass Box whiskies. However, the current Flaming Heart appears to be readily available, and I haven't entirely dismissed the idea of buying it.

Nose - smoky undertone. I detect a deep earthy peat here, akin to the ground a couple days after a campfire. Followed by significant sherry; they claim subtle sherry, this isn't subtle. However, I still get some vanilla and bourbon oak as well. I'm forgetting the blend but I'm fairly certain we're looking at Talisker and Caol Ila (sure about some of that one) for the peat. I notice some Talisker spice (I know I'll be told I'm wrong for that but I'm taking the chance) and there's a characteristic of Caol Ila I can't quite identify but it gives me this note. Perhaps some grassy oily waxy elements with the sweetness too (I'll probably be wrong about that whisky in the mix as well, haha). Taste - Wow, the flavor is not what I anticipated. The bottle has been open since its release and is nearly half gone since then (I went hard on this one initially). I taste berry, then a distinct vinegar-based BBQ, a touch of smoke, vanilla, some older oak, some leather, tobacco. I've never experienced this vinegar BBQ before; I get a very 'Springbank' BBQ note, but nothing like this. This is sweet honey BBQ. As it settles, that BBQ fades and I get notes reminiscent of Caragiale. The finish is quite unique: bitter, a hint of citrus, oak, vanilla, a touch of sulfur, and a bit stale. I was going to give this one some fine notes for the nose but the flavor has diminished. There are many interesting flavors here, but they don't harmonize. I just can't give a Compass Box with peat a 1.5. I'll give it a 1.75, and only due to my personal bias. $150 - just skip it.

Details: Composed primarily of Caol Ila (29%), lending elegance, along with Clynelish (17%) and Deanston (17%), and some other unidentified whiskies. This edition brings back the sherry cask, last used in the 2012 edition. Nose: Campfire smoke, not overly aggressive. Sweet raisins. Fresh fruits. Subtle vanilla. Also, a fragrant and floral aspect. Palate: Fruity-smoky. Strawberry-raisin, well-balanced smoke. Nuts. Oily and smooth. Very flavorful. It's clear the blend uses high-quality components. This is everything I expected from Compass Box. I can't compare it to the previous edition, but the sherry influence is definitely present and so harmoniously integrated that I struggle to imagine this without it. It's perfect as is! Finish: Smoky, warm, fruity. A raspberry coulis over dark chocolate. Overall: Well done! Compass Box hits a home run with this edition. Nothing too aggressive on the palate without being a punch. The peat is elegantly integrated and emanates warmth at 48% ABV. Aromatic intensity is very balanced between fresh fruit and ash-smoked notes. I've never seen a whisky live up to its name so well. Priced around $120 CAD, the value is very favorable. A flame that deserves a 94%.

Flaming Heart is one of those Compass Box expressions that comes and goes. This edition was created by blending Deanston, Caol Ila, Clynelish, an undisclosed Highland Malt, and a portion of the Spice Tree Extravaganza. It's marketed as oaky and peaty, perfect for a late night with cheese. Bottled at 48.9% ABV, it has a pale gold color. On the nose, it is very peaty and a bit too intense. A rubbery peat. Pineapple and freshly baked brownies. Burnt hay, fresh gooseberries. Strong mint candy. Very fresh with a lovely honey note. After 3 minutes, it has become a honey candy. After the first sip, the peat, mint, and everything harsh has calmed down, leaving only a slight honey and salt. On the palate, it's an immediate wave of the sea. Very salty, a little honey, and some pineapple core. The spiciness is as sharp as biting into a pineapple core. The second sip is full of honey. Candied almonds. The aftertaste is incredible. Burnt wood, maritime, salty, oak spice, and beautiful island peat. An incredible finish. Burnt hay and bonfire. It felt truly amazing. Overall, it has the signature Compass Box style all over it. It is very enjoyable and not overly complex. It delivers a very good amount of peat. The palate isn't super great but manages to hold its own. My score for it is 88 out of 100.

You can usually gauge a limited edition whiskey's value and price point if it sells out quickly. This one still hasn't after two years. For $130, there are likely hundreds of other drams I'd choose over this. Similar to the Juveniles release, I'm expecting a price reduction. Compass Box has been out of touch with reality on their special releases for the past few years, though COVID-19 might have played a role. Sometimes, when they produce something exceptional, it's hard to put a price on greatness and difficult to argue about its cost. This one is no exception; it's overpriced. The Peat Monster is 40% of the cost and very similar, though a different dram. I heard this was a pale imitation of the original, and that seems accurate. A straightforward Caol Ila style dram, higher ABV and lighter profile, presented expensively. Move along, folks, nothing here worth purchasing unless you find it at 50% off. Even then, just opt for the genuine Caol Ila 18.