Compass Box The Peat Monster

Caol Ila Workshop Scottish distillery Peated Islay Whiskeys This past Thursday, 7/11, whiskey specialist PJota Tomé led a beautiful workshop at the headquarters of ABS Minas (Brazilian Association of Sommeliers) on Islay peat produced by the Scottish distillery Caol Ila. ABS Minas partner, Ingá mineral water, kept all participants very well hydrated. In a blind tasting, peated examples of 4 different single malts and 1 guest blended malt were tasted. Despite not being produced by Caol Ila, this Single Malt was part of the tasting for comparative analysis purposes. It is a good Single Malt and even though it is peated, it failed to beat the Caol Ila whiskeys and came in last place among those tasted at the event. Congratulations to the participants for their performance in the race and congratulations to PJota for organizing this incredible event

Not a real peat monster but a good whisky nevertheless.

Nose: immediate pungeant maritime peat that opens into green apples, pears, vanilla, and honey. There's a strong salinity here. Underlying fruity and floral note. Palate: definitely feels like this has oxidized a little bit, not as strong of an ethanol note/robust body as I remember, but it has been a while. Still a significant peat throughout here. Salt air. Wet oak. Charcoal. Vanilla. Light milk chocolate elements here. A tiny hint of honey and citrus. Light pear here too. Finish: sea water, peaty/phenolic, a gentle numbing and warm oak tannin.

An intense, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky by John Glaser. It has an aromatic birth with notes of grain, wood, earth, tree fruits, spices, dried herbs & flowers; while a bold & slightly creamy life adds notes of papaya, rose & violets; that led to a warm death of medium length adding notes of smoky bacon, oak, new leather, iodine, copper, sea spray, peat & a campfire on the beach. October 2023