Whisky: Compass Box No Name № 3
Producer: Compass Box
Distillery: Multiple
Region: Highland, Speyside, and Islay
Whisky Type: Blended Malt (Natural Color, Non-Chill Filtered)
Age: NAS
ABV: 48,9%
Aged in Cask: Various casks
Price Range: $$$$

Compass Box is a whisky boutique based in London founded by John Glaser in 2000 with the mission of creating innovative expressions of Scotch Whisky by blending from multiple distilleries. The trademark of Compass Box is to break the rules of Scotch Whisky and create something that stands out from any other expression in the market.

No Name № 3 is the third release of the Limited Edition series from Compass Box. The series focuses on blending heavily peated malt whiskies with malt whiskies with subtler smokiness and unpeated malt whiskies with fruity and spicy flavor profiles.

From the back of the box, Compass Box provides more detail about the series.

“With No Name № 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 Name № 2 has been given a tropical makeover. Seadweedy and barbeque-scented single malt from Laphroaig Distillery take top billing, with a malt whisky from the Bowmore Distillery lending compelling hints of mango and pineapple at the very limits of ripeness.”

A limited edition of 10,794 bottles. July 2021 made from the following malts:

• Laphroaig Distillery Single Malt 74%. Re-charred Hogshead.
• Highland Malt Blend Blended Malt 0.5%. Custom French Oak Cask.
• The Clynelish Distillery Single Malt 6%. Refill Sherry Butt.
• The Mortlach Distillery Single Malt 7.5%. Re-charred barrels.
• The Bowmore Distillery Single Malt 11.3%. Refill Bourbon barrels.

Tasting Notes for No Name № 3

Compass Box recommends pairing it with Blue Cheese. Without a doubt, a malt like this one needs a bold cheese to offset it. If you’re interested in food pairing with whisky, check here. The tasting notes are as follows:

Note: The peat and smoke settle after a few minutes in the glass, paving the way for aromas of vanilla, barbeque, pineapple, and lemon.

Palate: A light and sweet arrival of apples that develops into peat, smoke, delicious barbeque, and bitter-dark chocolate. The wave of iodine and charcoal from the mid-palate is the signature of an Islay Scotch (I believe this is the Laphroaig, but I could be wrong).

Adding a few drops of water settles the peat and smoke combo while flavors of mango, apple, and pineapple start to emerge.

Finish: Very long and powerful. Iodine, peat, and smoke take center stage. Adding a few drops of water makes this trio a bit more manageable.

Conclusion: I have not tasted No Name and No Name № 2, but I can attest to the complexity of this blended malt. No Name № 3 is for those not afraid to explore a different variant of peat and smoke. I have never reviewed a peated whisky like this one. I loved how well the mango and pineapple flavors played with the big boys (peat, smoke, and iodine).

Reflecting on the type of reviews I have done, I see how peated whiskies have not been on the menu regularly, and it’s because most whiskey enthusiasts in the southeast do not enjoy this style. However, I plan to incorporate more peated expressions like No Name № 3 to cater to malt heads because I feel as if I have been playing in Legoland for months, and now I am invited to sit at the poker table with the adults. No Name № 3 is big and complex. A niche whisky that geeks will enjoy. I highly recommend it to those in the know. Slainte!

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Score: 4.25/5 ⭐

Legend

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