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KWM Advent 2018 Day 3 - Compass Box The Peat Monster

Posted on November 12, 2023

by Andrew

Image courtesy ofÂ @frombarreltobottle

Compass Box Whisky is in our estimation the finest producer of Blended Whisky in Scotland and possibly the world today. Its founder and co-owner John Glaser is one of the most unlikely figures in the Scotch whisky industry. A native Minnesotan, he studied wine before falling into the whisky trade where he fell in love with Scotch whisky.

John Glaser is one of the most innovative, provocative and transformative figures in the Scotch and whisky industry today. He has pushed the bounds of innovation and challenged the status quo of the legacy interests. In short, he is one of the industry figures I admire most. For John whisky is a passion, it is a form of art. Yes, Compass Box is a business, but the art comes first. That is extremely refreshing in an industry dominated by large corporate interests, where the product is of secondary importance to the marketing plan. This is not to say that Compass Box isnâ€™t good at marketing. Far from it, their marketing is superb, but rather that Compass Boxâ€™s branding and marketing are 2inspired by the product, as it should be, and not the other way around!

John Glaser got his start in whisky working for Diageo, the worldâ€™s largest whisky producer, specifically in the Johnny Walker arm, where he was eventually promoted to an executive marketing position. John loved the art of blending whiskies. In the 1990s Blended Scotch whisky accounted for close to 95% of all of the whisky produced in Scotland. Single Malts were starting to catch on globally, and John saw an opportunity for small batch, purposeful Blends. He approached Diageo about creating a boutique Blended Scotch Whisky business within the Johnnie Walker family, but they were not interested, the idea wasnâ€™t big enough for them. So in the year 2000, John set out on his, with supply contracts from his former employer, and Compass Box Whisky was born.

Blends were born in the 1800s as a way of making the bold and smoky Highland whiskies more palatable to a broader audience. In the early days, the concept of blending could be summed up by Aristotleâ€™s acronym of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts. As the whisky industry grew and spread globally it became a commodity. The art of blending took a back seat to marketing plans and profit margins. John Glaser and Compass Box have wound the clock back and returned the focus to the product. In a whisky world obsessed with single malts, John has made Blended Scotch whisky interesting and relevant again!

The Compass Box Peat Monster was born in 2003, after the success of a forbearing whisky bottled for Park Avenue Liquors in New York City. At the time it was one of the peatiest whiskies on the market. But as the single malt boom continued on in the 2000s, and peatier whiskies hit the shelves, it came to be seen as a much tamer creature. In recent years weâ€™ve seen a bolder, and peatier peat monster. Like all Compass Box whiskies, this batch of the Peat Monster is elegant, but it also lives up to its name.

Compass Box Peat Monster â€“ 46% - Blended Malt Composed of Coal Ila, Laphroaig and Ardmore - Matured in First Fill and Refill Ex-Bourbon â€“

Andrewâ€™s Tasting Note

Nose: honeyed and creamy, clotted cream on fresh scones with pan seared scallops and bacon sizzling in a skillet over a hot peat fire; creamy and doughy with bright citrus and firm but clean peat smoke.

Palate: grassy and malty, tarry and more medicinal than expected; steamed mussels in a white wine sauce; the bacon and scallops are still there (classic Caol Ila influence), drizzled with lemon and poached in butter; still creamy with candied anise and vanilla icing sugar.

Finish: muscular, coating and creamy; there is a surge of tarry peat, chewy malt, sugars spices and more vanilla icing.

Comment: this is one of the peatier batches of Compass Box Peat Monster Iâ€™ve tried; it is full and forceful but elegant; fans of Caol Ila and Laphroaig will be happy with this one! - $68 for the full-sized Peat Monster. Mini / 50mL bottles can be had for $11 while supplies last!