INTRODUCING
THE PEAT MONSTER CASK STRENGTH: ORIGIN STORY
Compass Box Celebrates the American Origin Story of its Smoky Blended Malt Scotch Whisky with a 20th Anniversary Limited Edition Release
LONDON, ENGLAND, March 23, 2023 – Unbeknownst to many, one of the most beloved peated blended Scotch whiskies available today is the result of a collaboration in the early 2000s between a New York City spirits retailer and a once-upstart Scotch blending house. Today, with the release of The Peat Monster Cask Strength: Origin Story Limited Edition Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml; 56.7% ABV; $125 SRP; 9,126 bottles worldwide), Compass Box celebrates that origin story of The Peat Monster, which was first created thanks to Jonathan Goldstein of Park Avenue Liquors joining forces with Compass Box founder John Glaser for an exclusive release in 2003.
The Peat Monster was then released to the greater U.S. market in 2004 following the success of Monster, a peaty whisky made by Compass Box exclusively for Park Avenue Liquors in response to Goldstein’s customers’ love of smoky flavors. This heavily peated whisky, which has gone on to become one of Compass Box’s most popular expressions, was released at the advent of a passion for smoky flavors amongst American spirits and cocktail enthusiasts.
“In the early 2000s, our customers were among the early U.S. ‘peat-freaks’ and their demand for highly peated malt was growing at a rapid pace,” says Goldstein. “Compass Box helped me realize this when we created Monster together, and I was thrilled to see the Peat Monster become so popular in the U.S. Today, peat is no longer just for the whisky geeks, and this special Peat Monster Cask Strength Limited Edition is an opportunity to rediscover how the U.S. drinker was instrumental in the ascendancy of smoke.”
With The Peat Monster Cask Strength, Compass Box celebrates further American roots by recognizing American coopers through a partial finishing of this blend, putting around half of this whisky in very special barrels comprised of American white oak for three-to-four months. These grain-seasoned casks have been air-dried for two years; made by the Independent Stave Company in Missouri, toasted using a highly technical process, given a light #2 char, they are then sent to Scotland and filled with grain spirit for one year. The blend is comprised of Williamson Islay Malt, aged in refill American oak hogsheads (35%); malt whisky from the Caol Ila Distillery, aged in refill American oak hogsheads (34.2%), American oak bourbon barrels (17.9%), and refill puncheons (11.8%); and Highland Malt Blend aged in custom French oak barrels with a heavy toast (1.1%).
Another nod to The Peat Monster’s American origin story appears on the label, which was designed by acclaimed American artist, Mark Burckhardt, featuring Dali-esque depictions of the monster against skyscrapers, subway steam grates belching smoke, and a hint of Central Park. The U.S.-exclusive label of the bottling includes additional iconic New York City elements – a yellow cab and a copy of one of the city’s renowned newspapers.
“It’s always been our mission at Compass Box to create compelling whiskies, even if it means breaking moulds – or creating new ones!” says American-born Compass Box whiskymaker and founder John Glaser. “Thanks to the early collaboration with Jonathan, we created a quintessential peated whisky that has gone on to become one of our core expressions, still beloved by whisky drinkers two decades later. As we celebrate the origin story of The Peat Monster with this Cask Strength Limited Edition, it’s also worth noting and celebrating how the American palate has evolved over this period and come to embrace the traditional peaty and smoky flavors of Scotch whiskies like The Peat Monster.”
Bottled at 56.7% ABV in deference to the American preference for cask strength whiskies, the resulting whisky boasts “big blasts of smoke, cinnamon and tobacco notes,” according to the whiskymaking team. On the nose, find sooty barbecue smoke, green apple and powerfully aromatic citrus oils, all underpinned by warming cinnamon (the higher ABV heightens this expressiveness). On the palate, enjoy tarry, smoked almond, with the seasoned virgin oak delivering added richness and vanilla notes, plus seaweed, cayenne pepper and saltiness.
Curious whisky lovers can find out more about The Peat Monster Cask Strength and other Compass Box whiskies at compassboxwhisky.com or follow @compassboxwhiskyco on Instagram.
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ABOUT COMPASS BOX
Compass Box are Scotch whiskymakers. The word ‘whiskymaker’ is their word – it does not appear in a dictionary. For over 20 years they have been relentlessly focused on reinventing Scotch whisky, with every new blend designed to help make the world of whisky a more interesting place. They have not done it on their own and have collaborated with some of the world’s most visionary bartenders and designers to really push the boundaries of what is possible. They are always experimenting, always looking for sparks of creativity that will deliver something totally compelling, yet completely surprising. This vision motivates them as whiskymakers.
ABOUT COMPASS BOX LIMITED EDITIONS
Compass Box’s Limited Editions allow them complete creative freedom, often using smaller parcels at greater ages. Each Limited Edition is one-off in nature. Every year, Compass Box creates a number of Limited Editions from very rare releases of a few hundred bottles to more accessible runs of several thousand bottles. Each one boasts a different identity, each expresses deliciousness in Scotch whisky in a different way.
