Every now and again the whisky gods smile upon us here at K&L and allow us to help more than just a handful of our passionate spirits customers attain a rare bottle of something truly spectacular. They open up the heavens and turn what was once just a tiny parcel of bottles into a volume that allows us to satiate a much greater demand, enough loaves and fishes to feed a much larger populace than originally anticipated.
This is one of those moments.
This past fall we received a tiny allocation of one of 2017’s hottest Scotch whiskies: the Compass Box Limited Edition “No Name,” a not-so-secret blended expression of Ardbeg married with a bit of Caol Ila and Clynelish to round out the edges. Those bottles vanished in the blink of an eye, gobbled up by our ever-vigilant whisky customers who maintain a constant watch over our new product feed. We thought that was the end, but when the holiday dust settled and our buyers went back out on the hunt, they managed to lock down a hidden treasure trove of unused allocations, foraged from all over the country. Those bottles have arrived at K&L, and they’re now available without bottle limits while supplies last.
The “No Name” project came to be when Compass Box blender John Glaser came upon similar good fortune, acquiring a parcel of bourbon-aged whisky from Pier Road, Islay (aka Ardbeg), unexpectedly. Those barrels turned into a highly acclaimed and limited 15,000-bottle release, a number of which have now made their way into our warehouse. If you’re a fan of peated Islay whisky, this is a bottle you won’t want to miss.
Compass Box “No Name” Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) (Elsewhere $170) ($139.99)
In late 2017, Compass Box released this outstanding limited-edition whisky called “No Name,” a blend of 75.5% Ardbeg, 10.6% Caol Ila, and 13.4% Clynelish with an additional 0.5% French oak-aged Highland malt for extra flavor. We sold through our allocation in a flash, even with the “one bottle limit per customer” dictate slowing things down in the sales queue. Now that the fervor of the Christmas shopping season is over, we managed to consolidate a large chunk of what was left in the States and get it all delivered to K&L. That means no bottle limits, no restrictions, and no risk of running out anytime soon. If you were a fan of the “Flaming Heart” or the “Peat Monster,” this is sort of like a combination of the two. You get the clean, focused, highly peated intensity of Ardbeg, tempered ever so slightly by the roundness of Caol Ila and the oiliness of Clynelish.
David Driscoll | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: January 31, 2018
If you’re an Ardbeg fan, you’re going to want a bottle of this. Same goes for any fan of John Glaser’s outstanding Compass Box expressions. However, if, like me, you’re a super fan of both Ardbeg and Compass Box, then this is the type of whisky you go ga-ga for. In essence, it’s a malt that exudes the bold, peated character of Islay’s most famous whisky distillery, tempered by the finesse and the keen palate of Mr. Glaser. You get loads of smoke, brine, salt, and sweet barley flavors right off the bat, but the finish rounds out with more oak and weight than you usually find in any of the official Ardbeg editions. In short, the “No Name” is a perfect example of how an already fantastic single malt like Ardbeg can be heightened and improved with the addition of other whiskies, a feat unachievable in an official brand capacity. It’s a beautiful expression of Islay, presented in an entirely different way than we’re used to. It’s the definitely the iron fist in a velvet glove. You’re gonna want one..
Jeff Garneau | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: January 31, 2018
Subtly smoky on the nose with hints of iodine and earth. There’s a slightly honeyed top note that is quite intriguing. Sweet and fruity with notes of honey and stone fruits. A mélange of gingerbread spice. There’s a rush of smoke on the finish that builds and builds. Damn fine Islay whiskey, and a pretty good argument for blended Scotch… so long as someone as talented as John Glaser is behind the mix.
Andrew Whiteley | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: January 31, 2018
John Glaser, the Alchemist, has done it again. He takes one thing, adds a little of this and a little of that, and he makes that one thing better and more valuable than anyone thought possible. Ardbeg and Port Askaig come together in the perfect marriage with a drop or two of Highland goodness to make one seriously peaty, but eminently drinkable Scotch. Campfire, both fresh-cut and smoldering dry peat are all bound together by maritime air and the magic that is Islay. There is a medicinal quality that will make you contract a serious case of Munchausen Syndrome. For a limited bottling we’ve managed to lock down a pretty serious allocation (thank you, David!) but it will be gone before you know it.
