In November 2024 Compass Field introduced Secrets and techniques of Smoke, a form of improve to The Peat Monster. To create this blended malt whiskymaker James Saxon introduced collectively whisky from Laphroaig, Caol Ila, Bowmore, and Ardmore, in addition to two of their present Islay blended malt parcels.
Loads of totally different cask sorts are working collectively right here: Palo Cortado, Spanish purple wine, Marsala, rec-harred American oak and others. Right here’s your entire recipe:
- Ardmore from first-fill sherry hogsheads
- Caol Ila from first-fill Palo Cortado sherry seasoned butts
- The Peat Monster mix from second-fill Spanish purple wine casks
- Laphroaig from first-fill Marsala barrique
- Bowmore from refill bourbon barrel
- A Blended Malt parcel from recharred hogsheads
Compass Field Secrets and techniques of Smoke (52%, OB 2024, 9792 btl.)
Nostril: it’s fairly a deep smokiness, hotter than simply Ardmore or Caol Ila. Seashore bonfire embers, tobacco leaves, hazelnuts and a few chocolate, darkened additional by a light sherry affect. It appears fairly previous, though it might not have a excessive common age. Some heather honey, roasted almond, dried fig and a touch of seaweed. After some time it settles down and I even decide up flashes of Bowmore’s grilled fruits. Superb thus far.
Mouth: natural and savoury peat smoke, with darkish and tarry Laphroaig notes in addition to smoked almond, moist soil and iodine. Slightly tangy and fairly medicinal, with loads of salty notes, white pepper, flashes of tart citrus, carbolic notes and scorched aromatic herbs. Somewhat cappucino and chocolate in the direction of the top.
End: fairly lengthy, on earthy peat smoke, seaweed, darkish chocolate, salty notes and light-weight hints of blueberries.
Fairly a darkish and savoury mix, during which it’s nonetheless attainable to choose up particular person distilleries. I’ve tried a few of their newest releases and this one is my favorite thus far. It’s arduous to fault, aside from the pretty excessive worth maybe – € 140 and extra. Out there from The Whisky Trade or Whiskysite.nl as an illustration.
