Compass Box Whisky Adds Two New Limited Bottlings to Its Lineup

Well-loved Scotch independent bottler Compass Box Whisky has debuted two new whiskeys that, like others before them, have rather interesting thought processes behind their creation. One is said to be the peatiest whisky they’ve ever released, while the other is being released without recipe information or tasting notes to encourage drinkers to assess it without preconception.

The first, Compass Box Phenomenology, is bottled at 46% ABV and is both non chill filtered and of natural color. That, and the fact it is a blend of single malts, is all one knows at this point. The bottler is remaining tight lipped about anything around this release for the time being, as they want you, the drinker, to describe the “phenomena” of this whisky yourself, in your own words and ideas. It will be available in Europe this month and the USA in November.

The other bottling, meanwhile, is known as No Name. According to Compass Box they stumbled across “a parcel of American oak barrels filled with mature, massively peaty single malt whisky” that turned out to be even peatier than their whisky called “The Peat Monster,” which is the staple peated offering in their core range.

So what’s been revealed by Compass Box about No Name? Quite a bit actually. For starters, 75.5% of it heralds from “malt whiskey produced at Pier Road, SE of Islay.” Another 10.6% is “malt whiskey produced near the village of Port Askaig,” 13.4% is “malt whiskey produced near the village of Brora” and the final .5% is a Highland malt blend made up of whiskies from Clynelish, Dailuaine and Teaninich distilleries.

Bottled at 48.9% and both non chill filtered and of natural color, it is said to best enjoy this whisky either neat or perhaps with a bit of water. Limited official tasting notes from Compass Box suggest “a bonfire-like smokiness on the nose with a peatiness that is by turns tarry and medicinal with hints of autumn leaves. A powerful smokiness and peatiness follow, accented by hints of ripe cherries, plums and spice.” Compass Box No Name will be available in November.