Compass Box Flaming Heart 15th Anniversary Limited Edition

Tasted at Fountainhead in Chicago, a great whiskey bar. Flaming Heart is a recurring series of Compass Box releases that features Caol Ila's peated whiskies prominently. In this respect, one can think of it as a much more expensive ($125+) Johnnie Walker Black Label, another Caol Ila-heavy blended scotch. I don't know that I'd pay that much for it, but the reasonable $16 I paid for a generous glass was just right. My first note right off the bat was Caol Ila/Ardbeg character, meaning a combination of ashy smoke and lemon-lime citrus. Complementing that punchy essence are dark caramel and then a complex mixture of creamy nut butters. Flaming Heart finishes with a long, lingering exhalation of smoke. I wouldn't have guessed a blend if I'd tasted this one blind, I would have thought that it's just a really good Islay single malt. And that's about the highest compliment that I can give a whisky.

smoke, smoke, and more peat smoke

Age: NAS Alcohol: 48.9% Paid: $107 Components: 1: 38.5% 14 year old Caol Ila matured in refill American oak hogshead 2: 27.1% 30 year old Caol Ila matured in refill American oak hogshead 3: 24.1% 20 year old Clynelish matured in rejuvenated American oak hogshead 4: 10.3% blend of Clynelish, Teaninch, and Dailuaine matured in “highly active” new French oak hybdif barrels This remains one of my favorite whiskies of all time. Over a quarter of this blend is 30 year old Caol Ila. Caol Ilas age exceptionally well, and become this decadent, refined, sultry, oily creature. What makes this bottle a true piece of art is that the other 72.9% of the ingredients make this better than a 30 yeasr old Caol Ila. Gentle meaty and hickory peat is on the nose that hints at how oily and waxy this will be on the palate. Soft fruity notes, with a balanced assortment of leathers, salts, and oaks. The palate and finish are a combination of the patiently immaculate oily, savoury, citrusy peat from the aged Caol Ila; the waxy, floral, acetones of the aged Clynelish; with just the right amount of spikiness from the younger ingredients. This just may be the greatest affordable blended malt ever. MARK: 96/100. If you can still find it, buy it!

This is well put together and deserves a higher score than 77/100. But it is blended almost too well. Nothing sticks out. So I wouldn’t buy it despite the beautiful bottle.