Details
- Price: $63
- Proof: 92 (46% ABV)
- Type: Scotch
- Age: No Age Statement
- Distillery: Compass Box
- Visit the distillery page at Compass Box The Peat Monster
Review
Nose: The nose has a moderate peat scent. The smell is intense for most scotches, but pretty tame for a peated whisky. Ardbeg and Laphroaig 10 have much stronger peat in the nose (this is about half the peat or slightly less). The appearance is very light in color.
Palate: This is a smooth and flavorful peated whisky. It lacks the boldness of Ardbeg and Laphroaig 10, which makes it approachable to a broader audience. This is the perfect welcome-whisky into the world of peat. The aforementioned competitors may be too bold for newer whiskey drinkers, making this a good option. Those that appreciate strong smokiness offered by peat distillation may be disappointed in this offering due to the moderate flavors. It’s very balanced, but not as bold as the name suggests.
Finish: The finish is flavorful with a creamy and smoky palate. It’s moderate compared to competitors as the flavors don’t coat your tongue for an extended period of time. This whisky will be met with applauses from some, and disappointment from others depending on palate and appreciation for peat.
Rating
Overall Score: 6.4 (score reflects taste and price)
Compass Box The Peat Monster is a non chill-filtered scotch, which leverages peat to dry the barley. The smokiness derived from the peat is moderate and less than competitors, which will cause division among consumers. It’s a selling point for some and a detractor for others. Those that purchase a peated whisky have often dabbled before, so this bottle will likely receive criticism. All around, this whisky offers good balance, rich flavors, and a decent sipping experience (especially if you’re drinking more than one glass). However, it lacks the bold flavors suggested by the distiller and the name.
Degenerate Discussion
I really enjoy this whisky and could see myself drinking a few glasses. I’m a huge fan of bold flavors and love the smokiness of peated whisky. This bottle finds a mellow balance, which makes it approachable for more glasses. With that said, it doesn’t compare to Ardbeg or Laphroaig and makes it a difficult purchase (40% the peat flavoring is my guess). However, the name and picture on the bottle are very enticing. The Peat Monster looks like something I saw when I took 30 milligrams of weed after 8 hours of drinking in Colorado. I was in the hot tub when time started to slow down, so I thought it would be a good idea to jump out into the below freezing temperature. Awww, good times…and a cool design for the Peat Monster.
Compass Box offers many expressions. I found a 3-box whisky set, which includes The Spaniard, The Spice Tree, and The Peat Monster (pictured). I highly recommend purchasing this if you enjoy Scotch and want to try them. Cheers Degenerates!
Listings
You can find Compass Box The Peat Monster on the following Degenerate listing:
- Compass Box Whisky Reviews