Compass Box Scotch Flaming Heart

Other 95 points - A marriage of three different single malts, aged in American and French oak. This whisky shows the advantage of marrying whiskies from more than one distillery (when properly done). Vibrant, with a complex array of fruit (orchard fruit, sultana), sweetness (light toffee, marzipan, honeyed malt), spice (creamy vanilla, mocha, warming pepper), smoke (tar, smoked olive, coal), and lesser notes of toasted almond and beach pebbles. More smoke and tar on the palate than the nose, yet always in balance. Well played! (Editor’s Choice) (Winter 2010) Reviewed by: John Hansell.August/2010

This is a whisky inspired by a rock song. Appropriate, perhaps, as rock music has long been associated with rebellion against various societal norms. And our humble company has been associated, for better or for worse, with a reaction against the “traditions” of Scotch whisky production. We like to think of our approach as reflecting a craft ethos -making whisky better for the sake of it. Flaming Heart is an ideal example of this approach. It is a whisky that combines Highland single malt whiskies aged on the highest quality, new French oak, with a heavy-peated Islay single malt. And for the first time, we add to this edition of Flaming Heart a small portion of whiskies aged in sherry casks, providing added layers of richness and complexity. In the melodramatic parlance of a rock lyric, it is a whisky born of fire, yet one with a big heart. Share and enjoy.