Another Blended Malt review today, this time looking at one of the most famous peated options, Compass Box The Peat Monster. This blend is almost as old as Compass Box itself and has had a few iterations through that time. It is also one of the first Compass Box blends I tried about 15 years back. How much has it changed?
TL:DR: Don’t let the monster moniker fool you, this is an elegant take on Islay peat, like a gentleman in a cloud of fine pipe smoke
Score: 6.5, good stuff, almost very good at that.
The Evolution of the Peat Monster
Back in 2003, Compass Box produced a blend of two cask-strength whiskies for the Goldsteins of Park Avenue Liquor Shop in New York. It was called “The Mosnter”. That original blend inspired, the following year, the birth of The Peat Monster.
The original blend mix was changed to wat it is today, Caol Ila with a significant proportion of Laphroaig, in 2019. Before that, the recipe varied quite a bit. Getting exact information on the individual lot make-up is not as easy as Compass box makes it today., A bit of guesswork is needed. Ardmore and Ledaig were often in the mix and, apparently, some lots used a good proportion of Talisker. Caompass Box’s signature Highland blend was added in small proportion too, but that blend changed too after 2019.
Master Blender John Glazer stated, back at the time, that drinkers would not notice a change. Time to review the 2019 Compass Box Peat Monster and check if he was right.
Compass Box The Peat Monster (2019)
Specs
Price paid: Gifted, official RSP £49. Available online between €40 and €70.
Lot: L 21 03 19
ABV: 46%
Natural colour: Yes
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Blend components: 99% Islay single malts plus %1 Compass Box’s proprietary blend. 64% Refill Hogshead Caol Ila, between 10 and 15 years old and 35% 8-year-old refill Hogshead Laphroaig. Full recipe available here
Tasting Notes
Colour: Pale straw, as you would expect from a blend of refill Hogsheads of (mostly) young age
Nose: Elegant is not a term I often associate with Islay drams, but the nose of The Peat Monster deserves that moniker. So not so much of a Monster after all. Let’s start with the peat. There is a sweet, ashy, almost floral smoke, punctuated by medicinal and maritime notes. There’s a lovely underlying sweetness: honeyed pears and apples, with just a touch of melon. And in the background, some citrusy notes of lemon and ruby grapefruit peel and a touch of baking spice add a refreshing change of pace.
Taste and finish: the mouthfeel is nice, just right. Quite intense. The fruity sweetness continues on the palate, but the more maritime and medicinal peat takes over. There is also a bit of peppery spiciness. Nice, but a bit less than I would have hooped from the impressive nose aromas.
The medium-long finish reverts to the gentle, ashy peat note detected on the nose and sweet fruit, with a hint of maritime character. There is a little bit of youthful heat on the aftertaste.
Score*: 6.5, good stuff, almost very good at that.
Your mileage may vary depending on how much you like (or don’t) Caol Ila. As someone who has a Caol Ila soft spot, I enjoy how the Peat Monster plays on this Islay classic character and spices it up with Laphroaig’s medicinal and maritime note and just a touch of age. Does it taste different from the pre-2019 Peat Monster I used to buy regularly? In my memory, there was a more sooty woodfire note that I didn’t get here. But memory is notoriously fickle. So, unless I can source an old bottle, I will be left guessing.
* Scores are based on the scoring scale used by Dramface, slightly modified to allow half-points
Would I buy it again?
Considering the amount of whisky I managed to, ehm, “collect” over the past 18 months, I don’t see another bottle of The Peat Monster on the horizon soon after this review. I will however enjoy the one I have at hand for some time. I also suspect I will gift one or two of these to friends getting more seriously into whisky right now. If the price is right…. I have complained about the inconsistency of Compass Box prices in the European market before and the Peat Monster is no exception. Seeing prices vary between 40€ and 70€ defies logic. Compass Box needs to get its distribution network under control.
Would I offer this to a new whisky drinker?
It is almost a perfect learnign tool, so absolutely.
I could easily imagine using the Peat Monster in a small Caol Ila-themed flight to show how the character of a single distillery can change. Starting with the original 12 yo, and adding a couple of 46-48% 10-12 year old IBs, one sherried and one pure bourbon, I would finish with the Peat Monster to show what a blend can add to the core character of this distillery.
After writing my tasting notes, I always find it interesting to look at other opinions. Here are a few other reviews of Compass Box The Peat Monster (post 2019) I enjoyed:
If you have enjoyed this content, please share a comment below and consider supporting the cost of this blog via the button below