This is not a Festival Whisky NAS CB (Compass Box)

This is not a Festival Whisky NAS CB (Compass Box) is a blended Scotch from Compass Box. It folds malt and grain together, Caol Ila giving the Islay smoke. Its spirit also feeds blends such as Bell's and Black Bottle.

Islay malts bring the smoke, the lighter Caol Ila style keeping it clean rather than heavy. A bourbon barrel held it, the oak lending vanilla and a little cream. A gentle vanillin sweetness from the oak balances the coastal phenols. The medium peating leaves a smoke that is firm but never heavy. Its peated character is built on malt smoked to a medium level of phenols. From a small Victorian works it grew into one of Scotland's biggest malt distilleries. The tall stills and a high cut give a lighter, cleaner spirit than the southern Islays. A clean smoke and a coastal salt define the distillery style. The make balances phenolic smoke against a bright, oily citrus.

At its natural 49% it is concentrated. A coastal peat smoke runs through it, with lemon, brine and a soft oil over a sweet fruit. The texture is oily, the smoke threaded with citrus. A long, briny finish ends on lemon and soft smoke. A characterful smoky blended Scotch.