Compass Box Delos

Compass Box Delos is a limited release of 5,520 bottles. It is a blended Scotch that is 33.4% Imperial single malt aged in first fill bourbon, 28.5% Glen Elgin single malt aged in recharred American oak, 21.2% Miltonduff single malt aged in first fill bourbon, and 16.9% The Cameronbridge single grain aged in first fill bourbon. It is one of four releases in Compass Box’s Extinct Quartet series, which are blends that are inspired by blends of yesteryear, which are no longer released. Delos is inspired by Compass Box’s Asyla. Delos is bottled at 49% ABV and sells for around $300-350. I remember Asyla for not being memorable. It was a decent summer sipper that satisfied a craving for a mellow, vanilla ex-bourbon only Scotch that had no noise from sherry maturation or peat. Delos is an expensive take on being unmemorable. This is a flawless first fill bourbon matured whisky. Whereas “mature” was debatable with Asyla, Delos is clearly well aged. The crisp vanilla and fruitcake notes of first fill bourbon are complemented by some dusty leather, apricots, must, and an exquisitely rich honey. The mouthfeel for Asyla is thick and syrupy, like honey. There is a transition from an initially creamy, sweet profile to a grassy, herbaceous finish. This is honestly lovely. I’d imagine this is what would happen to Asyla if you put Asyla into a bourbon cask for 20 years. I dare not open a bottle of Asyla to compare it to Delos because Asyla on the secondary market is about the price of Delos, which highlights the problem with Compass Box releases: they are pricey, and they are collectible. I would not say that Delos is overpriced, because that well-aged Imperial single malt is not something you can just find on a liquor store shelf, but is opening a bottle worth it? 10 years from now, I’m not going to remember Delos except that it was a very nice whisky, and it was expensive, and, when it climbs to $1000 on the secondary market, it was a bottle that I shouldn’t have opened. Compass Box has recent releases that I do not regret opening – Vellichor was like a woman shredding an electric guitar in a library – but Delos? It’s like a woman playing a harp at a fancy restaurant. It’s nice; it’s quaint; but it’s ultimately a chunk of money for something forgettable.

The second and very fancy (and pricy as well) release of the "Extinct Blends Quartet" from Compass Box, was this "Delos". Of course i got my hands on it after absolutely enjoyed the first expression, Ultramarine. This second chapter tells the story of a not so long extinct blend from their own company, the Compass Box Asyla, (which is so common that i didn't even know it was gone in 2018), a higher abv spin-off of that blend gets the name of Delos, a verybold Greek Island, where beautiful mosaics still exist even if the island is deserted. Actually this is a mythological island that the Greeks once believed rised from under the sea because the sea god Poseidon lift it up using his trident by order of Zeus, just for his children Apolo and Artemis to have a place to play. Well the fancy bottling comes at 49%abv, and let's see if it is as good as Ultramarine was. On the nose, this is super-mega-hiper fruity. Pear, green apples, pineapple, banana, lemon and fruitspice. A little sugary and glazed. After a sip, the aroma changed into a more yeasty profile: a small town bakery shop and spongy cakes. On the palate, it was not super impressive, but fairly good. Creamy, spicy; stewed apples, bananas. More sips revealed a ghostly hint of smoke. Aftertaste was undoubtedly the best part. A dry, red chilli sensation; with mineral, sulphur and metallic notes. Cough syrup, smoky and greasy. Beautiful stuff here. Overall i wasn't the best fan of Asyla back in the day, and i think this second release is inferior to Ultramarine. Having said that this is not a bad whisky at all, the score feels a little higher that what it should be, and that is because it scored good points on the finish. For the price it was sold, this is not the best deal out there, but i believe this can gain value overtime with the whole collection. A honest rate for it is 89 over 100, it was very near to achieve the 90 points but it didn't make it.

My goodness. The nose greets you with an exotic floral bouquet which, with time, broadens out to the equivalent of strolling through an orange grove in full blossom. In the mouth, it is delicately sweet with fruit and vanilla notes, as well as some oak presence. It absolutely coats the mouth and has a nice, if not too long, finish

The weird question is if you have a youtube video and plan to release it early to patreon, is it wrong to write notes here? The answer is likely yes, but I'm having my second pour and I wanted to make notes, and this is easier. Nose - The nose is about what you'd expect. Rich fruits, vibrant toasted oak, and so much vanilla. Taste - Lets pause on flavor and talk about how rich and oily this is. Those 20+ year old first fill bourbon casks have worked their magic. Leaving this with buttery levels of oils and richness. Rich oily vanilla, over fresh toast, butter, then some white pepper and cinnamon join in with rich oak and orchard fruits. Delos is a wonderful example of light and softer malts and grains that were given quality first fill bourbon casks to impart rich sweetness. This is a wonderfully easy drinking and complex whisky, but 320 bucks? I can't recommend this one for the price unless you need all compass box bottles. Still, to get a piece of 20+ year old imperial does at least somewhat spark enough interest for me to have paid for it. 3.5 out of 5.