4 from Compass Box

Compass Box got a lot of press lately, but how is these whiskies that got all over the news last month ?

Here is my take on 4 of them, with 4 short reviews. I want to check out a new colour setup of the blog. So I am doing a speed tasting of 4 whiskies and soing some short notes and thoughts

1. Hedonism Quindecimus 46%

A blend of grain whiskies from 5 distilleries at varying ages.

Soft laid back grain nose, with custard vanilla. The palate is quite woody for a grain, not very spicy as some grains can be. A very nice an easy drinking grain, with

Rating 84/100

2. "This is not a luxury Whisky" 53.1%

A blended whisky 10.1% Strathclyde, 6.9% Girvan, 79% Glen Ord and 4.0% Caol Ila

The nose is warm with a hint of peat. A bold and nutty flavoured whisky. There is not much Caol Ila in this blend but the peat is always lingering in the background. There is a bit of dried fruits, a box of raisins come to the mind. This is more power than delicate. The finish comes in with a little creamy vanillaness

Rating 85/100

3. Flaming Heart 15th Annivarsary 48.9%

A blendend malt. Caol Ila, Clynelish, Teaninich and Dailuaine. Married for a minimum of 2 years in active new french oak hybrid barrels

The french oak is the first thing that hits me with this typical virgin oak crisp vanilla both on the nose and the palate. Another nutty flavoured whisky, with a nice spicy dry woody mouthfeel. Quite delicate compared to the first two. This is also a tad more sweet than the first two offerings. So far this is my favourite. The sweetness adds a nice balance to this whisky. The finish is fantastic, where suddenly medicinal notes appear, and medicinal, thats my favourite tasting note :-). Think old leather Ardbegs,

Rating 88/100

4. The Peat Monster 10th Anniversary 48.9%

A blended malt of Caol Ila, Clynelish, one of the Kildalton malts and another Highland malt.

This is a whisky designed for the sophistaced peatjunkies. Some will say that's an oxymoron, but there is a few of us out there!

Peat, vanilla and spice. There you go. Quite a bit of oomph and the alcohol burn do tell me this is probably younger than the other 3 I have tasted tonight. While the approach is a little fierce the finish is where the complexity hits and I end up in a very feelgood mode

Rating 85/100

This was a nice session. It's fun to taste this blends where the whisky gets a chance to pull their weight, as the whisky is bottled at a proper strength