Compass Box The Peat Monster Reserve

When I took a whisky cruise this past spring, the Compass Box The Peat Monster Reserve was one of 4 out of the 28 whiskies which I sampled which really impressed me. The Peat Monster Reserve is a special edition whisky differing in composition from the standard Compass Box The Peat Monster. I have read that there is an additional whisky in the vatting, and the ABV is 48.9% compared to the 43% standard The Peat Monster. The Peat Monster Reserve is reported to have been released to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the release of Compass Box The Peat Monster. This whisky is available only in magnum bottles, 1.5 L in the U.K. and 1.75 L in the USA. This is a vatted malt, aka, to some, a "blended malt Scotch whisky". The reviewed bottle has been open for two months.

Colour: pale, like Chardonnay.

Nose: fragrant moderately strong delicious peat, floral with carnations and a hint of rose, white wine, sauterne or pinot grigio. Very nice.

Taste: PEAT, wave after wave of a very delicious high quality peat. The Peat Monster Reserve tastes like it has MULTIPLE times the peating levels of the standard The Peat Monster. Wonderful! This is also sweet, with the floral and white-wine notes translating deliciously from the nose to the palate. There are on the palate also some additional fruity notes of peach and citrus.

Finish: the highlight of this dram, fantastically intense long beautiful peated finish. The peat just sits there on your tongue for a week. The other flavours remain strong too.

Balance: this whisky is mostly about the peat, and gloriously so. I love this whisky. It is gentle, refined, and delicious. This reminds me of what I would imagine a highly peated version of Compass Box Asyla would taste like. I have never gotten excited about the standard The Peat Monster, but this The Peat Monster Reserve is something to get excited about.

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