Compass Box Myths & Legends III
Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
46% ABV
$150
Website
What the Blender Says
Scotch whisky has a rich array of stories, myths and legends.
However, what start as myths can become received wisdom, influencing our understanding and restricting our enjoyment. We have deployed blending to challenge assumptions, biases and prejudices concerning Scotch in this limited edition series we call Myths & Legends.
For Myths & Legends III we have taken some of the same parcels of malt whisky used in Myths & Legends II and added peated malt whiskies from a pair of celebrated island distilleries.
Some would object to our actions on principle. Famous single malts are always too precious for blending, they say; the sanctity of the category seems to take precedence over quality.
However, thanks to our parcels of well-regarded malt whiskies, the tropical fruit and butterscotch notes of Myths & Legends II are now further enriched by a deep and enchantingly aromatic smoke profile.
Never blend the famous names? The breadth of generous and complex flavours found in Myths & Legends III dismantles such superstitious thinking.
FLAVOUR PROFILE: Papaya, mango and butterscotch meld with aromatic and assertive peatiness.
SERVING RECOMMENDATIONS: Enjoy neat, late at night, and in the heaviest glass you can find.
Not Chill-Filtered, Light 5 Micron Filtration | Natural Colour | Lead Whiskymakers: Jill Boyd and James Saxon | A limited edition of 4,564 bottles | July 2019
What Gary Says
Nose: Freshly shoveled earth and peat, caramel, faint fruit notes.
Palate: Thick and creamy mouthfeel, rich fruit with butterscotch, peat and smoke.
Finish: Long, drying with peat and fruit.
Comments: I do love peat, so if someone said “What if we take some Myths & Legends II and add some peat and smoke?”, I would not have batted an eye, nor discouraged it. For this, they took the components for Myths & Legends II and added some 23 yr old Highland Park, as well as some 15 yr Caol Ila to the Glen Elgin party (with the additions amounting to just 15%). I like both of those distilleries, so would further have been on board. I think this is a fine example of where “less is more”. Wish I had tried this one first so I wouldn’t have Myths & Legends II to compare against, as I think I likely would find this a perfectly delicious pour. The nose is a lot more peaty than the palate, and some water brings out more notes of kiwi and mango on the nose. But if someone offered me my choice from the series, I’d go with II without much of a thought.