TN: The Peat Monster

NV The Peat Monster - Compass Box

This was a Christmas gift to me from someone who knows that I do adore a well made peaty Scottish whisky. I was told that it contined three peaty whiskies and was pushed the name them. After nosing my glass for a few seconds, I reckoned that there was definitely Cool Ila in it, which I was told was correct. Plenty of saline and some light peat and it reminded me of the smells inside the distillery on my last visit to Caol Ila. The other two remind me of island whiskies, but I was not exactly sure which ones. One was a young Laphroaig and the other was a young Ledaig. They were all probably aged in bourbon barrel as the colour is light and I could not detect any sherry influence on the nose or palate. The mouthfeel is peaty, full salinity and a sabre strike of alcohol which I find a tad too rough. A decently made coastal whisky with some peat, but I would love to have seen this around 10 years old and aged in sherry cask.

I was underwhelmed when I tasted this. It might have been partly because of the name. Not that I want a Peat Monster, but if you are going to give it that name, it better represent.

Thanks for the far more articulate thoughts.

Best,
Jason

Thanks Jason.

Thanks for the note, Nicos!

I usually enjoy iodine and smoke Islay Scotches. My favorite is the Lagavulin, both the regular 16-year and the cask-strength 12-year, but I never liked the Ledaig. I can’t remember if I had the Caol Illa.

Do you have any thoughts on whether I should try the Compass Box “Peat Monster”?

Hi Drew,

Given your preferences stated above, a few suggestions:

  1. Have you ever tried any cask strength bottlings by Signatory of Ledaig around 10 years old? Worth a try, IMHO;

  2. What are your thoughts and experiences of Laphroaig?

  3. I enjoy Caol Ila with some age and at cask strength , e.g 15-20+ years.

  4. If you get a chance to try The Peat Monster, give it a go. If I were you, I would not rush out and buy a bottle.

  5. have you tried any bottlings of Bruichladdich?

Let us know your experiences on this thread!

Cheers,
Nicos

I did enjoy the Bruichladdich, and I am okay with the Laphroaig.

About twelve years ago, I had an opportunity to buy a few Signatory Collection Scotches. All of them were of a “safer” type (soft, sweet) from Speyside and the Highlands.

What caught my attention the most about the Signatory Collection bottlings was the relative paleness of each product! I then became very skeptical about the probable use of coloring in other Scotches. Yes, I can imagine that a distillery may blend older casks into younger ones to enhance the color of the final product (while the Signatory bottles are single-blind age). I also appreciate the fact that Scotland is a cooler region, and the extraction of chemicals from a barrel occurs at a reasonably slower rate.

Unfortunately, I don’t see any custom-bottled Scotch Whiskys in town these days.
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Signatory have three ‘tiers’ of bottlings. The colours of these bottlings vary according to their age and cask type used (e.g. bourbon, sherry, etc). I do not know where you are based, but you may find this useful:
http://www.signatoryusa.com/our-scotches/

Agree that full bore Islay single might have a little more smoke and peat, but the Peat Monster to me showcases a unique taste profile of smokey/tar-y/oily/earthen flavors that really open up with a splash of water. Not as heavy a malt to boot. YMMV obv

I don’t drink much whiskey or scotch as I’m a wine guy, but My nephew turned me on to Caol Ila 12 year over the Holidays and I was blown away. Especially for $65.

A fair assessment.