FLAMING HEART is back!

Rock ‘n’ Roll-inspired Limited Edition whisky from Compass Box Whisky Co. returns to popular acclaim

Award-winning boutique whiskymaker, Compass Box Whisky Company, announces the fourth release of its popular, rock’n’roll-inspired FLAMING HEART Blended Malt Scotch whisky. It is big, bold and smoky with rich, concentrated vanilla and spice character.

John Glaser, American-born founder and whiskymaker of the London-based company, has created this new, fourth edition which once again pushes the boundaries by melding three Scotch styles: smoke, spice and sweetness. Only 9,147 bottles have been produced – perfectly in time for the holiday entertaining season. FLAMING HEART has previously won numerous awards, including Malt Advocate’s ‘Blended Whisky of the Year’ in 2011, and was awarded 95.5 points in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible. Glaser believes this version is probably the best yet:

“This is really one of our whiskies I am most proud of. Because there is, to our knowledge, no other Scotch whisky like it. No other that combines peat smoke and sweetness like this.”

“This is a whisky inspired by a rock song. Appropriate, perhaps, as rock music has long been associated with rebellion against societal norms and our humble company has been associated, for better or for worse, with a reaction against the “traditions” of Scotch whisky production. We like to think of our approach as reflecting a craft ethos –making whisky better for the sake of it. Flaming Heart is an ideal example of this approach. In the melodramatic parlance of a rock lyric, it is a whisky born of fire, yet one with a big heart.’

Befitting its name, the packaging of FLAMING HEART is thought-provoking and representative of the whisky’s rebel-like personality. The front label is illustrated by London-based artist, Alex Machin, while the packaging is designed by London and New York-based agency, Stranger & Stranger.

To celebrate the worldwide launch of Flaming Heart, Compass Box is designating Wednesday 3rd October FLAMING HEART DAY, encouraging as many people as possible to raise a glass of Flaming Heart together, wherever they are in the world.

ABOUT FLAMING HEART
“With this edition we worked hard to maintain the style of the popular 2010 version, but adding slightly more complexity. We started with some beautiful casks of Clynelish aged in American oak. Adding a large quantity of heavy-peated whisky and a large quantity of whiskies which had gone through a secondary maturation in new French oak. And to top it off, we added a tiny amount of whiskies aged in sherry casks, just 1% of the total recipe, but it helped to contribute added complexity which you can notice.” – John Glaser, Whiskymaker.

The original limited edition of FLAMING HEART debuted in 2006 and was then followed-up by small-batch productions in 2007 and 2010. The whiskies for the fourth Limited Edition of FLAMING HEART come from Single Malt whiskies from distilleries located in the Northern Highlands, Islay, Speyside and Islands, primarily from the south shore of Islay and the village of Brora (Highlands). The recipe is made up of 66.7% Highland Single Malts (for fruitiness and perfume) and 33.3% Islay and Island Single Malts (smokiness and peat). The whiskies are matured in 75% American Oak (which imparts notes of vanilla), 24% New French Oak (clove spice) and 1% Sherry cask (dried fruits).

Bottled at 48.9% alcohol by volume, this limited release of 9,147 bottles was bottled in August 2012. It is non-chillfiltered and has a natural colour. Sip neat or with the addition of water, to taste. Pricing will be approximately $115 in the USA, £83 in the UK and €100 in Europe. It will be available in Europe from September and from early October in the USA.

ABOUT COMPASS BOX (www.compassboxwhisky.com)
The Compass Box Whisky Company is a boutique Scotch whiskymaker and craft blender, started in 2000 by John Glaser. Compass Box produces and bottles a range of Scotch whiskies, available in over 25 countries around the world. A four-time winner of the Whisky Magazine Innovator of the Year award, Compass Box is known throughout the whisky world for quality, innovation and passion for great whisky. The Compass Box signature range of whiskies includes Asyla, Oak Cross, The Peat Monster, The Spice Tree and Hedonism. They also produce limited release whiskies annually, and Orangerie, a Scotch whisky infusion. Their latest creation is a ground-breaking range of Blended Scotch whiskies called Great King Street. The first in the range is Artist’s Blend.

ABOUT JOHN GLASER
American ex-pat John Glaser started Compass Box Whisky Company from the kitchen of his west London home in 2000. Having started his career on a path to become a winemaker, then re-routing himself through the corporate world and ending up as marketing director for Johnnie Walker in London, Glaser has a unique perspective on both the creation and the marketing of Scotch whisky.

Glaser established Compass Box based on his commitment to evolving practices in the industry to make great Scotch whisky more approachable and relevant to more people. From the beginning, his vision has been to create one of Scotland’s finest and most exciting whisky companies, re-establishing the standards for quality and style in the industry.