Compass Box Flaming Heart 15th Anniversary Limited Edition

Light Blended Spices

4-5 years ago I was a bourbon guy, now if you see my reviews here, maybe you think I'm still one. Trust me, it's mostly because I'm just a scotch GEEK and most of my bottles are single barrels I can't post here (easily) that I buy now. But what changed me, what sent me down a path of exploration into the depth of scotch? Well, it was this blend of all things. It drove me to sail my boat right into the heart of the storm to explore these challenging flavors and experiences. I rarely save empty bottles, I have a handful, and mostly because I thought they'd make good infinity decanters. But this is one that I saved the bottle and tube from all those years ago. It's not the marketing but it's the memories of this once life changing whisky. Never before had I experienced peat and sweet in such a way. The mingling of two worlds I both very much enjoyed, but it was so different and unique. At that point I'd never experienced beyond I suppose rumors of what's in blue label, what I'll call ultra aged whisky (30 or more years old) but this also gave me an actual healthy 27% shot of that as well. So after years of dreams and one bar pour that wasn't in optimal conditions (I'd been DRINKING that day), will this one still live up to my memory? Nose - First off, this is an extremely rich and aromatic scotch. In terms of just total smells this is a 9 out of 10. There's smoke and earth at first but as it sits in the glass I'm getting domination by that waxy floral and apple orchard type clynelish malt. Charred barrel and whispers of some youthful spirits are mingled in nicely. An aggressive swirl and a glass topper bring out burnt rubber and hints of tar. Each whiff the whisky gives off a slightly new element. Now roasted vanilla and light faint whiffs of chocolate. Now every so slightly bitter oak. Balanced combinations of fruits, sweetness, earth, bourbon cask maturation, and every so slightly peat doesn't show up but it seems to balance into everything else here. Taste - The pallet takes on a different direction. Where the nose was a perfect blending of all these elements the taste profile brings up more notes of older islay, more oak, more earth, and perhaps more bitterness. Wax elements from the clynelish do arrive. Fruity yet almost vanilla bourbon infused ones arrive as well. While the nose is a 9 in intensity the whisky drinks more like a 6. Not muted but much more average in boldness, and at 48.9% that comes a bit surprising. The finish however almost amps things back up to perhaps an 8. Alcohol lingers and holds on to the gums leaving behind wood spice and well aged and peat faded caol ila. The flames have subsided a bit but they've imparted a wonderfully complex whisky. While on the nose I think the addition of younger highland blend perhaps added a nice element, here I could do without. There's a candy corn like note I think is coming from the youthful spirits, perhaps 10% was a touch high. It still shocks me each time I drink this that the alcohol doesn't even become apparent until the finish, it's to the point it's startling. So 4 plus years of drinking and this now bring among the less expensive scotches I own (at least retail), how does flaming heart 2015 hold up? Well....pretty bloody well. This remains one of the most pleasing and complete whisky experiences I can think of. A finish that lasts and lingers for days. A nose that is worth of song and dance. And while the upfront flavors are not wowing me, they remain pleasing, enjoyable, and really a perfect opening act for a finish worthy of replacing cigars with. There are flaws and imperfections along the way. A bit of roughness and spark from some cheaper whisky. Still for my dollars, this remains a steal under 200, maybe even under 250. I think a fair average price is going to be in the low 300's for this one. At that point, I might still want a backup for nostalgia but I'm not jumping to buy one at that point. Score - 4.25. This is outstanding and I reserve the right to bump this up.

Peat smoke on the nose with some honeyed notes in the background. Palate isn’t as peaty as I was expecting but smoke still dominates. Some sweetness on the medium mouthfeel tries to balance the peat. If you like lighter smoked scotch, this might be for you. Fairy balanced, medium + finish. Nice but overpriced.

Very smooth, drinkable