Compass Box The Peat Monster (Classic Brown Label)

This brand is known for creating truly intriguing options, and this one lives up to that reputation, offering a fun experience. FIRST IMPRESSIONS - Upon opening, there's no doubt it will excite you. It possesses a distinct, vibrant peat character and an elegant, appealing color. NOSE - The aroma is particularly engaging, presenting a wide range of citrus, melon, freshly cut grass, chestnut, fudge, butterscotch, and a lovely, buttery finish. It has a savory peat, reminiscent of hickory smoke, concluding with an herbal scent (like green fields). PALATE - The palate is a nimble performer, quick when necessary, yet impactful in key, surprising ways. I detected a very pleasing vanilla fudge alongside sea salt, creamy oatmeal, and almond. It hits dry and smooth, leaving a slight residual warmth, which relates back to the 'impactful' comment. After adding a drop, I also noticed hints of light creme brûlée and what seemed like pancakes. That was a nice, subtle addition. FINISH - It offers a proper lingering finish, which was surprising given the low alcohol content. You'll experience a pleasant warmth here, a nice conclusion to the drink. WHAT I APPRECIATED - It's incredibly smooth, providing a delightful aroma and a genuinely refined drink. This is one I'd share with friends, and many who typically avoid peat might genuinely enjoy it. CONCLUSION - To be completely honest, the name might be misleading. It's well-balanced and extremely shareable. That wasn't quite what I expected. While it offers a wonderful peat profile, it lacks the expected intensity of other 'over the top' heavily peated Scotches. It seems to be at a level 7 or 8 when others are at 11. Considering its name, I expected more 'power' and depth. If you're seeking a deeper, more earthy peat experience, you might need to look elsewhere. However, if you prefer your peat refined and sophisticated, this is for you. Cheers!

Nose of corned beef, perhaps Thousand Island dressing or the reuben sandwich. A touch of vinegar and steak sauce. This smells delicious, meaty, yet still unique among other peaty scotches I have tried. The vinegar comes through in the body; it's acidic but has sweetness too, like barbecue sauce. I really enjoy it. The finish could be burnt meat, but I'll call it a mild cigar - mild spice with mostly smoke. This is my least favorite of the Compass Box trio, but it's still decent. Peat becomes excessive for me when it feels like you've just smoked a cigar. I'm sure many enjoy that, but it's not my preference. This one only has that characteristic at the very end, and if that were removed, I would appreciate this scotch as much as its siblings. 'Tis the season. I'm deciding my drink daily, so if you're reading this and there's something readily available you'd like me to try, let me know in the comments. Happy holidays to all!

Nose - sweet peat smoke, ham, bacon fat, mushroom-like earthy notes, iodine, kelp, saltiness, lemon, melon, honey, subtle vanilla, toffee, leather, aged wood, with a moderate to strong alcohol burn. Taste - sweet and savory peat, bacon fat, ham, butterscotch, toffee, vanilla, lemon, ginger, wasabi, saltiness, chili pepper, kelp, honey, iodine, subtle rubber, leather, with a moderate alcohol intensity, finishing long and pleasantly smoky with savory meat, zesty lemon ginger, and semi-sweet toffee flavors. I really enjoy it (primarily because I'm a peat enthusiast), but I'm not convinced it surpasses the quality of its components. It offers the peated malt experience (leaning more towards meaty Caol Ila than medicinal Laphroaig), but adds a pleasant sharp ginger and lemon zest that momentarily, against your better judgment, makes it seem refreshing, akin to a 'highball with a twist.' The butterscotch/toffee sweetness (likely from the French Oak) subtly contributes to this illusion. It certainly doesn't replace those classic heavy hitters, but it presents a novel and refreshing take on the typical Islay experience. Alternatively, perhaps it's just been too long since I've had a good peated dram, and I'm overly eager to reconnect.

This brand is a favorite. Their prices have increased significantly in recent years, but their main offerings remain accessible. This particular bottle is from their core selection and predates the price hikes. Currently, this blended malt is primarily a mix of two single malts. You can find the precise details on their website. Unfortunately, I'm uncertain of the exact age or if the blend composition was different back then. I estimate it's from the 2013-2015 period, but that's just an educated guess based on the label style. Regardless of its age or contents, this is a quite enjoyable whisky. The aroma is very pleasant, with light fresh peat, gentle smoke, and fresh orchard fruits like apples and pears. On the palate, you first get sweet and spicy smoke with vanilla. The fruits from the aroma appear in the finish before fading to bonfire ash. Overall, I thoroughly enjoy this blended malt. It was reasonably priced at the time, but now prices for everything are inflated, especially for this brand. Overall Grade: B

Pale gold liquid with long, thin legs. The initial aroma is strong smoky peat, with notes of tobacco smoke and its residue. The smoke is gentle and pleasant, reminiscent of a distant campfire. The next layer reveals spicy cinnamon and sharp clove, alongside earthy, dried leaves. A faint hint of soap? The taste is pure, salty sea brine, followed by toasted wood ash. The peatiness is perfectly balanced. It brings to mind a fine cigar. As it rests, notes of baby oil and woody resin emerge. Following this is a flavor of mint or menthol. A good amount of barley is present, but it requires some contemplation to detect. Hints of dark or semi-sweet chocolate are also there. The conclusion features tobacco ash, like dry charcoal after a backyard cookout. That smoky character endures for an extended period. Black pepper is noticeable. Tannins and metallic notes conclude the experience. Initially, I found this dram rather dull and uninspired, so I'm pleased I took more time with it to uncover its intricacies.

The third and final sample from Compass Box's blended offerings. On the nose, a familiar peat with iodine and cold ash, mingled with hints of crispy white bread, sweet tangerines, tart oranges or grapefruit, light apples, a touch of salt, lemon, and vanilla. It's not excessively sweet and surprisingly vibrant. Reviewing the details from Compass Box, the constituent distilleries are unsurprising: primarily Caol Ila and Laphroaig, all matured exclusively in bourbon casks. The palate presents as slightly unusual at first in an engaging manner, then settles into a blend of woody smoke, vanilla sweetness, a pleasant smoothness, and a truly remarkable Islay peat. The finish is quite satisfying. Sweet and peaty, almost creamy, and rather long, with a subtle oak presence at the end. Certainly the superior of the three Compass Box drams I sampled (Spaniard and Spice Tree being the others). It's a pleasant expression of Islay whisky, not overly manipulated. If you appreciate typical Islay peat, this bottle would undoubtedly be a fine addition to your collection. I enjoy it.