Compass Box is the hottest blended whisky producer of the moment, but I'm not entirely sure that its basic expressions are consistently better than the usual big players like Johnnie Walker. Since Compass Box isn't as well-known to the general population, however, it inevitably gets a little boost from enthusiasts looking to show that they know more than regular joes (the whiskey world version of the, "You haven't heard of them?" line from music hipsters). I love some Compass Box expressions, but Peat Monster is only . . . OK. The nose is full of an herbal, corky, wet-wood style of peat. The palate, in contrast, is light and sweet. The finish is a smoky, classic peated finish. Before looking it up, I would have guessed that this was a blend of young Caol Ila, Ardbeg, and Port Charlotte. For what it's worth, Compass Box has disclosed that it contains an Islay south shore malt, a peated malt, a peated malt from the Isle of Mull, and a smoky Speyside malt. Based on that, I'd guess Ardbeg, Caol Ila, Ledaig (the only peated Mull malt), and Benromach. I'm not sure that the blend of those single malts complement each other, they feel like they're getting in each other's way, if that makes any sense. At $55-60, it's not badly priced, but at that price I'd just get Ardbeg 10, Caol Ila 12, Ledaig 10, or Benromach 10, and be happier for it. If I wanted a smoky blend, I'd probably opt for the slightly more boring but easier drinking Johnnie Walker Double Black Label, which also has a lot of Caol Ila in it, and save myself some money to boot. PS - Looking at other reviews on this site, including Scotching Hard, I see I was wrong even in my second round of guesses. Surprised there’s that much Laphroaig in here, I’d think I would recognize my favorite distillery if it made up the plurality of the blend!