Tasting Compass Box Flaming Heart vs Peat Monster

When visiting London for TWE Whisky Show, I meet Chris Maybin, Comercial director of Compass Box. Chris gave me a sample of the new Compass Box Flaming Heart 4^thbatch to taste it at home.

Well, finally I arranged a free evening for tasting it when I saw @WhiskyLassie asking how it compared against Compass Box Peat Monster. Also I have a pending task of tasting the old recipe of Peat Monster with Laphroaig and Ardmore against the new recipe using Caol Ila, Ledaig and Ardmore.

A great tasting was starting to appear before me.

The Whiskies

Compass Box Flaming Heart 4^thbatch

“Five stars whisky! Compass Box has created an awesome value whisky in this Flaming Heart: complex, old , well matured and peated. I can't ask anything else”

92

This is the fourth release of this peaty blended malt from the whisky artisans at Compass Box.

Inspired by a rock song, this blended malt is made using whisky from refill Bourbon barrels, new (heavily toasted) French oak and some sherried oak which is a great new addition!

The whiskies are from distilleries across Scotland but there is a fair whack of a south shore Islay (Laphroaig, Ardbeg or Lagavulin) and a malt from the village of Brora ( Clynelish? ).

This dram has a gold-like color.

Nose (92): more than average. peat, salt, honey, earth, citrus, apples, plums.

Palate (92): powerful, oily. peat, honey, pepper, iodine, salt, wood, citrus, coffee.

Finish (91): longer than average. peat, citrus.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Compass Box Flaming Heart - Release 4 with 92 points over 100.

Buy this bottle at

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• Buy on Whisky Online for £77.00

Compass Box Flaming Heart 3^thbatch

“Lovely whisky from Compass Box. This Flaming Heart is very nice but the 4th release is even better”

90

Bottled to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Compass Box whisky company, for whom the epithets 'tireless', 'innovative' and 'pioneering' might have been invented, this Flaming Heart is a vatting of Highland Malt from a village near Brora (nudge, nudge), with some smoky Island/Islay malts. The label and packaging, it goes without saying, are stunning. Bottled at a good natural drinking strength, this should be fabulous.

This dram has a gold-like color.

Nose (89): more than average. peat, citrus, honey, floral, vanilla, salt.

Palate (90): powerful, oily. peat, floral, honey, citrus, wood, salt, pepper, spices.

Finish (90): longer than average. peat, floral.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Compass Box Flaming Heart 10th anniversary with 90 points over 100.

Compass Box Peat Monster

“Very nice Compass Box whisky. Very loyal to the style and in my opinion better than the previous batch created with Laphroaig and Ardmore.”

90

Compass Box has created a range of incredible artisan vatted, oops, I mean, blended malt whiskies.

This Peat Monster is a top-quality vatting of the peated Speysider Ardmore with some choice Islay malt: sometimes Caol Ila sometimes Laphroaig, Peat Monster is never less than excellent. Pitch-perfect balance and delicious chewy complexity.

This is the best value whisky I have ever had. Even forgeting the price it is a whisky so good that stand over whiskies ten times more expensive. If you like peated whiskies of course :)

This dram has a white wine-like color.

Nose (90): more than average. peat, honey, citrus, earth, vanilla.

Palate (90): powerful, oily. peat, honey, citrus, spices, pepper, wood, burnt wood.

Finish (90): longer than average. peat, honey.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Compass Box The Peat Monster with 90 points over 100.

Buy this bottle at

Save money when you buy Blended Malt Whisky online. Check for the best prices from best online shops below:

• Buy on The Whisky Exchange for £39.45
• Buy on Master of Malt for £43.43
• Buy on The Drink Shop for £44.46

Compass Box Peat Monster Old Recipe

“Superb whisky from Compass Box. This batch was created using malt from Laphroaig and Ardmore although I swear that has a touch of Ardbeg both on nose and taste. Love it”

90

Compass Box has created a range of incredible artisan vatted, oops, I mean, blended malt whiskies.

This Peat Monster is a top-quality vatting of the peated Speysider Ardmore with some choice Islay malt: sometimes Caol Ila sometimes Laphroaig, Peat Monster is never less than excellent. Pitch-perfect balance and delicious chewy complexity.

This is the best value whisky I have ever had. Even forgeting the price it is a whisky so good that stand over whiskies ten times more expensive. If you like peated whiskies of course :)

This dram has a white wine-like color.

Nose (89): more than average. peat, citrus, honey, salt, motor oil.

Palate (90): powerful, oily. peat, earth, honey, citrus, spices, vanilla, wood, coffee.

Finish (90): longer than average. peat, citrus.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Compass Box The Peat Monster with 90 points over 100.

Buy this bottle at

Save money when you buy Blended Malt Whisky online. Check for the best prices from best online shops below:

• Buy on The Whisky Exchange for £39.45
• Buy on Master of Malt for £43.43
• Buy on The Drink Shop for £44.46

Miguel says…

I knew that I were going to enjoy this!

I had forgotten how good Flaming Heart was… definitively a dram I will try to have for this Christmas.

Peat Monster is also very nice, one of my favorites everyday drams, but it can’t compare to Flaming Heart complexity.

Share your thoughts! comments written.