Distiller Notes
#9 Whisky Advocate Top 20 Whiskies of 2021
The final whisky in the No Name series champions seaweedy peatiness from the Laphroaig Distillery, enriched by succulent fruit and smoke from the Bowmore Distillery.
Even fruitier than No Name, No. 2 and almost as smoky as No Name. The peat character is more medicinal than No Name, with a beautiful heathery and tropical fragrance.
Professional Ratings
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Whisky Advocate
The third installment in Compass Box’s gothic exploration of smoke, or the whiskies that shall not be named, builds upon their bewitching sequence of distillery duets. Pairing Ardbeg with Caol Ila, then Caol Ila with Talisker, blender James Saxon invited Laphroaig and Bowmore to dance for No. 3, underpinned by the familiar Compass Box foundation malts. There’s a charming balance of sweetness and peat, as the hardy coastal smokiness of Laphroaig is quelled by the ripe tropical fruitiness of Bowmore. The mouthfeel is satisfyingly creamy, with orange fondant, chocolate, honey, and apricot flavors tightly bound together by tendrils of smoke.
Originally created as a lighter alternative to Single Malts to appeal to the Americans during Prohibition, Blended Scotch Whiskies are a mix of both grain and malt whiskies that have been sourced from multiple distilleries and aged a minimum of three years in oak barrels. Nine out of every ten bottles of Scotch sold is a Blended Scotch Whisky and they are generally far more affordable than Single Malt Scotch Whiskies.