Compass Box 3 Year Deluxe Blended Malt

So, a sample of this found it’s way to my doorstep by a new friend who wishes to remain anonymous. I was really excited to get it because I happen to own a bottle of this one and have been having a hard time deciding whether I wanted to open it or not, due to the fact it’s rather expensive. $300 to be exact. I sure hope this one blows my socks off... This blend was John Glaser’s fantastic jab at the Scotch Whisky Association’s rules regarding the proper labeling of whisky bottles. They claim it’s against the law to assign a certain age statement to a bottle if said bottle has even less than a tablespoon of a younger whisky added to it. So, this blend has 0.4% of three year old Clynelish- therefore, by law, it can’t be considered older than 3 years. Well, the remaining whisky blended in is 99.6% malt aged over 20 years. But, it’s still a 3 year old, according to the SWA. The remaining whisky is 90.3% 24 year old Clynelish and 9.3% 20 year old Talisker. All games aside, let’s see how it plays out... The nose is flat out, incredibly sweet. Bubblegum, cotton candy, vanilla, honey and floral candle wax add a crazy amount of depth to this one. It’s dessert sweet with no oak or peat. I got zero smoke because the candy-like notes were so powerful. It was still pretty incredible. The palate continued the dessert theme with lots of oily, thick honey and beeswax. It felt chewy. I remember those little, kool aid filled, wax bottle candies from when I was a kid. I used to bite the tops off and drink the liquid and had to really restrain myself from chewing and eating the wax caps. I wanted to, but I was so scared what would happen if I did, so I spit them out after a good, mushy chew. This CBW has that same mouthfeel and taste nailed down. Except, this stuff is safe to drink. Nostalgic win for me. Here’s where the train came off the track, IMO: the finish. This thing was a Talisker pepper bomb. I wondered where the Island whisky influence was going to come into play- and here it is. The problem- it’s ridiculously spicy. It was so peppery it clashed with the residual sweetness and left a very undesirable flavor hanging around. The finish is long, too. I didn’t get any smoky aspect, from start to finish, and the lingering candy/pepper mix really turned me off. It took what was assuredly a 4.5 star dram down to a 3.5 star. I couldn’t get around it. Overall, I wanted to love it- and it started out so well. I have a full, unopened bottle now that I’ll proudly declare isn’t worth anything close to $300- and I have absolutely no desire to open it in the future to give it another try. So, I’m stuck. I appreciate my friend sending me a pour, but now I’m annoyed that I have a bottle of this to deal with. I guess the safest bet is to put it away and see if time and limited numbers work to my advantage and I can recoup my money somewhere down the road. I can’t say I recommend this one, either, which is a bummer because I love 95% of everything I’ve tried from Compass Box. Oh well, I’ll be reviewing The Circus here soon and hopefully that one will be something redeeming, but at $300 too, I have my doubts now. Cheers, my friends.

At 49.2% ABV, the rusty gold spirit sticks to the side of the glass like honey, confirming a majority stake in well aged Clynelish. The first pass of a 5-star nose is greeted by ethanol appearing younger and more vibrant than it should for a blended malt averaging 23.41 years. Juicy Fruit bubblegum and candle wax break through first, followed by vanilla, fresh orchard fruits, and hazel nuts. Despite a tithe portion of Talisker, little hint of smokiness could be found, probably due to 20 years of sherry butt aging. A luscious mouth feel gives way to honeyed vanilla, baked apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, zesty citrus, and peppery effervescence. A dry, lengthy finish is dominated by more spice, oak tannins, and pepper. A little heavy on the pepper side (quality casks) has this one falling an iota short of 5 stars, but still a tremendous Compass Box expression. A few more days of oxidation may tame the pepper.

Sweetest in the afternoon

Nose: Old leather, followed by my wife's pear and almond tart, complete with her signature orange zest. (3/3) Mouth: Explodes magnificently with more oranges, of the preserved kind. Gets richer and sweeter with time in the glass , if you have the patience (2.5/3). Finish: Long, very drying (2.5/3). Bonus point: 1/1 for audacity. Total: 9/10. Master of Malt sample 2/17/17.

my. top. dram. (2016)