Compass Box 3 Year Deluxe Blended Malt

Nose is light and airy with grassy and salty notes green apple and caramel underneath. Something ripe and floral as well (maybe honesuckle?). Creamy and full bodied with a good bit of smoke, cinnamon and spice.

I don't know why I'm doing another review but I've been wanting to open this and see if this bottle is turning or if it's getting better. I've got about 6 oz left in the bottle and it's been there for a while. Gold color - with a touch of finishing gives it a nice look. Nose - bubble gum, oily citrus fruits, I don't get smoke but I get an earthy undertone. Oh wow how did I ignore vanilla, Huge vanilla. Taste - Citrus, bold bright over powering. Some spice. Oily, spicy, touch of oak, pepper. But this is so much sugary dessert. Finish - my god this finishes as just pure vanilla and caramel. it's insane. A bit short for the age and cost but so good. So good. I originally thought this was not closer to a 300 dollar bottle, but with time oxidizing. Oh man, this is dessert, complex, old, insanely good. Man, I'm fan boying on this one now. I really want another bottle! That said we're not into those all time great elite pours. This is very good if you enjoy the dessert notes, the fruits, and a bit of waxy notes. This is completely worth 300 dollars.

A lovely dram with notes of vanilla, citrus, tropical fruit, and delicate smoke along with a nice creaminess.

Nose - Apple. White wine. Brine. Taste - Litle peat. Seaweed. Honey. Salty. mouthfeel - little bite. creamy. Good. Try it if you find it.

2oz at The Whiskey House in San Diego Their joke spoiled this for me just a bit. My palate this year has been destroyed by dipping into budget bourbons. I picked up this awful rotten oily nutty note from Larceny that I just can’t escape in poorly matured whiskies now. This is less than 1% 3 year old Clynelish, but I can taste it. The irony here is that the youngest whisky actually does make the biggest impression. There is no reason I should be getting that young nutty whisky on the nose and palate in something that costs so much. The expensive stuff is still quite delicious in this blend. Big wafts of ginger, caramel, crystallized fruits, and leather. Quite like 1980s Brora. The 3 year old whisky is there like a crying infant at the movies. Fuck infants. Fortunately, the finish is pure and the linger is gorgeous beeswax and dark spices. I thought about buying a bottle. Now I won’t. MARK: 89/100

I was looking forward to this sample all week. A week or two ago, I tried the Circus, and thought it was amazing. After that, I was afraid this might be a let down.. After all...it’s just a well aged Clyneish, with 10% Talisker. The closest this reminds me of is this one dessert I had in Lyons ages ago. They had this utterly decadent tart, made with pears, almonds, and a flaking of sea salt. Was rich, fruity, and a perfect complement after a lovely dinner. Now...here’s the true question: considering it’s $300, would I buy a bottle? It’s lovely...it really is. Rich, fruity, sinfully delectable. A 2 star Michelin worthy Pear au Amande dessert. But $300 is a freakin’ lot of money! Price agnostic, this is a 5 star whisky. And honestly, in today’s market, a 24 yr old Clyneish is about $300 ( a 21 yr old on MoM is listed as $290), and a 20 yr old Talisker is probably just shy of $300 (a 24 yr Old is $310). So...with that data point, maybe $300 is fair. What I’d like to know is if the 21 Clyneish or 25 Talisker are better than this, if yes...than this is overpriced. If no, then seems fair pricing. Now if anyone has a 21 yr old Clyneish and a 25 yr old Talisker, I’d be happy to further my analysis and arrive at a definitive conclusion...