Company: Compass Box Whisky Co.
Distillery: A blend of Laphroaig, Bowmore, Mortlach, Clynelish, and Highland Malt Blended Whisky
Region: Edinburgh, Scotland
Aging: No Age Statement
ABV: 48.9% ABV
Proof: 97.8 Proof
Bottle Date: July 2021 – Only 10,794 bottles of this blend were produced
Mash Bill: Blend of Scotch Whisky
Non-Chill Filtered: Yes
MSRP Price: $130
Compass Box – No Name No. 3 Tasting Notes
Appearance: Straw/Hay
Nose: Peat, honey sweetness, light fruits, tropical fruits, pineapple, crisp apples, apricot, briny ocean seaweed, vanilla, graham cracker, mint, tobacco
Palate: Peat balanced with rich spices, tropical fruit, a minty freshness, and a bit of brininess that compliments the earthy peat in a salty umami mouthfeel
Finish: Smooth and balanced finish full of peat balanced with spice and tropical fruit. It leaves you with a nice buttery and oily mouthfeel that coats your mouth with a little bit of heat but in an enjoyable pepper and spice kind of way.
From The Bottle’s Label
The Ruched Curtain rises on a big-boned, balletic and flamboyantly peaty new whisky. It boasts considerable stage presence, despite having No Name.
Each instalment in the No Name series has followed a common structure: one heavily-peated malt whisky dominates, tempered by malt whisky of a complementary but subtler smokiness. These are supported with unpeated malt whiskies which convey fruitiness, elegance and spicy sweetness.
With No Name, No. 3, our sequence exploring Scotch whisky’s smoky spectrum can come to a fitting conclusion. Fans of the first No Name will recognize a strumming tarry intensity, while the fruity fragrance hinted at in No Name, No. 2 has been given a tropical makeover. Seaweedy and barbecue-scented single malt from Laphroaig Distillery takes top billing, with malt whisky from the Bowmore Distillery lending compelling hints of mango and pineapple at the very limits of ripeness.
We feel that the peatiness of No Name, No. 3 has an operatic quality to its vibrant and expansive, wild yet graceful, there is also considerable weight and resonance. Experience it neat, perhaps in the dark, when a little drama is called for.
– John Glaser, Founder & Whiskymaker
Is Compass Box – No Name No. 3 an Approachable Whisky?
If you’re a fan of peaty Scotches, you will almost certainly enjoy this one.
And if you aren’t a fan of peat yet, this is a great place to start. It takes your normal Laphroaig peat and mellows it out with a lot of complimentary flavors like fruit and sweetness.
Is Compass Box – No Name No. 3 Complex?
Compass Box No Name No. 3 has a ton of layers of flavor.
Before getting into the layers of flavor, here is the blend of Scotch whiskeys and percentages that are combined into this bottle:
Since the bottle is nearly 3/4 Laphroaig, we know it will be peat heavy.
But let’s take a look into what the other whiskies in this blend offer.
On the nose alone, it overwhelms my senses with so many different flavor notes that it’s hard to pinpoint exactly which ones are my favorite.
Front and center is your heavy peat from the Laphroaig.
In addition to the peat, there are also many additional layers of flavor including tropical fruit, briny ocean saltiness, smoke, spices, and even a bit of mint and tobacco.
This truly is a Scotch that I could just sit and smell all day and never tire of.
On the palate, it’s full of peat but the tropical fruits really do shine through. I get a lot of citrus zest, crisp apples, pineapple, and apricot.
I then get a twist of light pepper and spices. The spices aren’t the star of the show, but you can definitely tell they are there.
What are Compass Box – No Name No. 3’s strongest attributes/flavors?
Compass Box No Name No. 3’s strongest attribute is most certainly its complexity.
Compass Box is known for its skill in masterfully blending Scotch Whisky and this bottle is a perfect example of that.
It takes all my favorite flavors from other Scotch whisky and combines them into one bottle.
It reminds me of another favorite Scotch blend called The Big Peat which is my go-to Scotch if I’m not quite in the mood for massive peat flavor.
This limited edition bottle does offer a lot more depth in flavor than The Big Peat which is really a nice treat.
Is Compass Box – No Name No. 3 a go-to whisky?
Compass Box No Name No. 3 is most certainly a whisky I could easily drink any time.
Since it is a limited edition bottle and on the higher-end of the price range, it is definitely a bottle to be reserved for special occasions.
Is Compass Box – No Name No. 3 priced accurately to its quality?
Compass Box No Name No. 3 is a high-priced limited edition bottle at a $130 price tag MSRP.
With that being said, it does have a level of complexity that I do think warrants its price tag.
Many people don’t think blends should have a higher price tag, but the quality of this blend is on par with other bottles I’ve spent more money on.
And since this is a limited edition bottle and may be hard to find, a more affordable bottle that you can find on the shelves regularly would be Compass Box Spice Tree or Compass Box Peat Monster.
While neither of these bottles is quite as good as the No Name No. 3 they are still quite good and deliver on their price tags which are half the price.
Conclusion for Compass Box – No Name No. 3
This bottle was shared with me by my mom’s friend who helps her in her stained-glass classes.
When my mom mentioned that I review whiskeys, her friend read some of our reviews and offered for me to open this wax-sealed limited-edition bottle, enjoy the first pour, and review it for the website.
I’m incredibly grateful that she did because it really is a spectacular whiskey.
She knew I was a fan of peated whiskeys like Laphroaig and Bowmore so it is no surprise that I would enjoy this one.
I’m pleasantly surprised with the complexity of flavor in this bottle and it really exemplifies the power that blended Scotch whisky can offer.
Let Us Know What You Think
I hope you enjoyed this tasting experience with me.
If you decide to give this bottle a shot, please let me know on social media via Reddit, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
Thanks for reading and cheers!
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