I went ahead and added this newest Compass Box release to my little side by side comparison of Peat Monster and Peat Monster Cask Strength. Why you ask? Well, because it’s written on the packaging for No Name that this was CBW’s peatiest scotch yet and it was a natural progression up from Peat Monster- that’s why. So, me being a (humble) scotch connoisseur- it just felt right to have it there. Thankfully, my brother from another mother- @PBMichiganWolverine, had sent me a sample back in November. Now, I also have to add that I wasn’t expecting too awful much from this bottle. I’ve heard all the “peatiest yet, most powerful, blah blah blah” jibber-jabber and thought it was just posturing. Plus, I’ve had lots and lots of Octomore. Boy, oh boy... Let’s start from page one, though. The ingredient list is quite tantalizing: 75% Ardbeg, 10.5% Caol Ila, 13.5% Clynelish and just under 1% of CBWs base blend (Clynelish, Teaninich and Dailuaine blended together and aged longer in French oak casks). That’s a big percentage from all the smokiest players on Islay. I believe CBW even re-charred the casks from those guys and aged the final blend a bit longer. Impressive stuff. Guess what, fam? It delivers. The nose is flat out amazing. It took a little while longer than usual for it to really open up, but when it did it told a story like my mama used to read to me when I was a little boy. The nose builds anticipation like no other Compass Box before it. It’s floral, smoky as hell and then the candied fruits and red berries appear. Boy, it really teases you along. It even disappears briefly before returning sweeter, then smokier, then sweet again. It’s a real page turner of a scotch. The palate opens with a smokiness on par with Peat Monster before a lovely fruitiness arrives that’s reminiscent of a certain Lowland distillery. The floral notes, too. It forms a delicate balance and never gets ahead of itself, never gets harsh. I almost don’t believe this whisky is almost 49% ABV, either. Do Not Add Water To This Whisky. Or at least wait until after you’ve tried it neat. It doesn’t need to be cooled a bit. The finish is medium length but I have to say that this is the juiciest, most mouth watering finish I think I have ever experienced in a scotch, single malt or blend. It is an amazing achievement. This is also as close as I think we may ever see Compass Box get to mimicking a peated, port barrel finished whisky. And my motto is that port and peat play perfectly when paired. This blend nearly accomplishes that without a port barrel. In conclusion, this whisky cracked my Top 6 favorite whiskies of all time and is also better than This Is Not A Luxury Whisky. Which had been my favorite CBW to date. It’s easily a 5 star dram. Now I have to just figure out how many of the 15,000 available bottles I need to hoard. I gotta go, I can hear my credit card whimpering. What’s $129 times 6? Find this bottle and experience it for yourself. It’s worth every penny. Cheers, my friends.