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Compass Box Compass Box Flaming Heart

fruity spicy
4.2
(4)€150Scotland, Blended Malt

Flavours

Whisky character

Fresh
Warm
Mild
Full
Smooth
Spicy

Taste mentions

Facts

Heavily toasted oak is the engine of this whisky. Compass Box builds a Highland malt core, mostly Clynelish, and rests it in wood toasted far harder than normal. The staves give up vanilla and baking spice fast. Then peated Caol Ila arrives and lays smoke over the top. The two halves argue a little, in a good way. You get baked apples and orange one moment, soot and black tea the next. Each edition is built fresh, so the balance shifts every time. It is a blend that behaves like a single malt with opinions.

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4.2 /5

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About the distillery

Distillery

Compass Box

Compass Box is an independent Scotch whisky bottler and blender based in London, founded by John Glaser in 2000. The company sources whisky from a variety of distilleries in Scotland, and then blends them to create unique and high-quality whiskies. Compass Box is known for its innovative approach to blending, using both traditional and modern techniques to create new flavour profiles. Their whiskies often feature a combination of malt and grain whiskies, and may be aged in a variety of casks, including sherry, bourbon, and French oak. In addition to their core range of whiskies, Compass Box also releases limited edition bottlings and collaborates with other companies to create special releases. The company has been at the forefront of the movement to increase transparency in the whisky industry. In 2016, they launched a campaign called "Transparency" that provides detailed information about the whiskies used in their blends, including the distilleries they come from and the ages of the whiskies used.

3.7Average rating

82Whiskies on Distilld

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About the Compass Box Compass Box Flaming Heart

Compass Box Compass Box Flaming Heart is a blended malt Scotch whisky from Scotland. It carries no grain whisky at all. Instead it marries malts from several distilleries into one bottling. Peated Islay spirit from Caol Ila sits at its core. A Highland component led by Clynelish rounds that out. The strength is 48.9% ABV. Every edition is a limited run. Smoke is the signature, but it never runs alone. The sixth edition of Flaming Heart ran to 15,050 bottles. Its Highland malt came from heavily toasted oak, which pushes vanilla and spice into the spirit. The house also brought back a touch of sherry cask influence. That trick had been used only once before, in 2012. The malts in the vatting span seven to thirty years of age. Deanston sits in there too, alongside the Clynelish and Caol Ila. Baked apples and dried fruit lead the aroma. Lemon and a floral lift sit just behind them. White pepper and toasted oak sharpen the edges. Sherry shows on the palate as dried fruit and orange peel. Black tea brings a dry, tannic grip halfway through. Vanilla keeps the sweet side in play throughout. The smoky part arrives late, oily and warm, with chocolate and a rye-like snap. It lasts longer than the strength suggests. Most peated Scotch leans on one distillery and one house style. Compass Box Compass Box Flaming Heart works the other way. It uses heavy toasting and careful vatting to shape the smoke rather than chase it. That is why each edition tastes a little different from the last. Numbers on the label matter here, since a run of 15,050 bottles does not come back. Anyone curious about blended malt should start with a bottling like this.