Scotch

Whisky Review: Compass Box Flaming Heart 2022

We review the 2022 release of Compass Box Flaming Heart. It's a blended malt featuring several smoky Scotch whiskies.

OVERALL RATING

10
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Compass Box Flaming Heart (image via Compass Box)

Tasting Notes

About:

9,606 bottles produced. Bottled at 48.9% ABV with no added color and not chill-filtered. This is 100% malted barley blended from an unknown number of distilleries including Laphroaig, Talisker, Caol Ila, Highland Park, Glen Elgin, and Balmenach. SRP $155 per bottle.
Appearance:
This is a light golden color. It forms a ring of tiny tears that take a long time to combine into some thick long legs.
Nose:
The initial nose on this is peat and caramel apple. Trying to define the style of peat on this puts me somewhere between the smoke of a barbecue and petrichor, that subtly earthy smell of a first rainfall.
Palate:
This starts off incredibly clean with a sweet citrus quality to it. It moves into a rich mid palate with some caramel, cinnamon, and black pepper with just a touch of that smoke starting to build. The finish really lets the peat take front stage while staying clean and only getting the slightest medicinal quality.
Finish:
Comments:
Compass Box delivers another iteration of Flaming Heart that will be readily enjoyed by those that like peated Scotch. This is a lighter fruitier style of peated whisky that strikes a good balance of heavy smoke and other flavors. A good addition to the Compass Box line with another beautiful label from Stranger and Stranger.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Ian Arnold

Ian Arnold brings eight years of bartending expertise to the table, having honed his skills in renowned establishments across California, Australia, and Portland. His most recent position behind the bar was at the esteemed Multnomah Whisk(e)y Library. A dedicated member of the Oregon Bartenders' Guild's leadership team, Ian also served as a judge for numerous cocktail competitions. Currently working in the IT field, he continues to delight guests with his bartending prowess. In his leisure time, Ian enjoys playing board games and savoring the complexities of Japanese whisky.

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