Compass Box Flaming Heart Blended Malt 25th Anniversary Edition

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 48.9% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

The eighth Flaming Heart edition celebrates 25 years of Compass Box with a deliberately streamlined recipe. Earlier releases also included unpeated whiskies from bourbon or sherry casks; this edition combines peated malts with whisky further matured in custom-made French oak casks. The series began in 2006, and Benrinnes, Talisker, Laphroaig and the Islay malt known as “Williamson” contribute to this release.

Benrinnes spent a further four years in French oak casks toasted to varying degrees. The Talisker component matured in recharred American oak hogsheads, while a small proportion of Laphroaig received a two-year finish in a first-fill Marsala barrique. Wood and spice notes thus meet peat smoke and bright, wine-like fruit. In December 2024, 9,384 bottles were filled at 48.9%. The whisky has natural colour and is non-chill-filtered; the 0.7-litre bottle comes in gift packaging.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, oily smoke sits over lively spice notes. Raspberry and apricot bring fruit, while impressions of biscuit dough, miso and tarred rope add depth.
• Palate: The whisky feels dense and powerful on the palate. Clove, pink and black pepper, and nutmeg emerge before medicinal peat meets bright, wine-like fruit.
• Finish: Concentrated smoke lingers through the long finish, taking on woody and ashy notes. Menthol and citrus oil add a fresh accent.

Distillery/Bottler:

Founded in 2000, Compass Box develops its blended whiskies in a blending room in Richmond, near London. The company is not a distillery: it selects Scotch whiskies, maintains its own maturing stocks in Scotland and composes its bottlings from them. Lead Whiskymaker James Saxon created the blend for this Flaming Heart edition. Benrinnes, Talisker and Laphroaig are named source distilleries; “Williamson” denotes another Islay malt component here.

Facts: