Compass Box Great King St Artist's Blend

A great entry into scotch for first timers.

This is my second time enjoying this whisky. I just purchased a bottle at Gaspar's Liquor Shoppe in Tampa for retail price ($38.99). It is a Tampa Bay Whisky Society barrel pick. Tasted neat from a glencairn. Let's get into it. The pour is very pale golden yellow, reminiscent of Mellow Corn. A swirl shows significant sheeting with small, slow tears forming along the glass. The nose is honeysuckle, dry grass, ripe orchard fruit, a bit of sweet sugar, a touch of vanilla. Its not complex, but there's a bit more going on there than the typical blend. Mouthfeel is creamy and sophisticated. This is easy to drink neat or with a drop. I really need to get into this on ice and this might make a very good highball with club soda. This particular expression from Compass Box is a 49% ABV, 98 proof. It's bigger than virtually any blend I've ever had. On the tongue the Compass Box is all honey, sweet vanilla, almost a Juicy Fruit note in there.... It's very easy to enjoy up front, but the finish is a bit different. Because of the proof, this has a bit of pepper and a long, glorious finish. It coats the mouth with a sweet film and after the swallow the capsacin comes out to play, warming the palate all the way to the chest. LOVELY! In comparison the Dewar's Ancestor is smokier, dirtier, and has more elements I associate with grain alcohol. There's no trace of grain, no notes of acetone in the Compass Box. I really didn't think there was any in the Dewars, but in comparison its there. In comparison the Dewar's 12y.o. ($25 on sale) has a more briny, oceanic nose with a touch more smoke and a bit less of the candy. A drop of distilled water opens the nose even a bit more on the CB. The Dewar's get a bit more briny with a drop, but the CB gets a better separation of fragrant floral elements. I think a drop of water brings the CB together quite nicely. It might even enjoy a cube. It certainly is a great summertime whisky! This Compass Box is a better whisky than the Dewars, full stop. It's bigger, richer, more complex and higher proof. Its not quite a smoky/peaty as the Dewars, but the two are otherwise similar qualitatively. That said, this isn't even close to perfect. The sweet is overdone and the pepper is out of balance. It's good, not great. The Dewars was on sale for $25, but MSRP is $30. CB seems to be around $40 to $45. Is it worth a 33% premium? Should you buy the Compass Box over the Dewar's 12? Yes if you're drinking it neat. Yes if you want something a bit more complex and sweet. Not necessarily if you're drinking it on ice or in a highball. And maybe if you're building cocktails, but it depends on the cocktail. They may be somewhat similar in profile, but they are not equal nor are they substitutes. So my rating... I rate on a bell curve where the typical mass market will hit a 2.5 star leve. To make it to 4 stars a whisky has to be very good indeed. This expression doesn't make it quite that far, but its a step ahead of the blended competition. This is a solid 3.5 and its a good value. Great job and I am definitely going to be checking out some of the other CB expressions!

Honey sweet & just very slightly smoky. Enjoyed neat from a glencairn at a restaurant. This is our first time sitting at a bar in 3 months. For the sake of my marriage I'll keep this short, if I could find a bottle and it was priced at MSRP I would buy it without hesitation.

The palate is floral, citrus, and honey. Very refreshing. The nose covers much the same ground as the palate. The palate fades quickly, and wraps up with a citrus finish. After 20-30 seconds, the finish is only a memory with a hint of lingering malt sweetness. (During a follow on session, there was a splendid white wine note.) This blend is even tastier than a few entry-level single malts like Dewar's, Glenlivet, and Glenfiddich 12 -- and at only $5-10 higher in price. This is quite good, and for $30-40 it is definitely a pick for session drinking. My Rating Glossary: Two Stars: "I'd rather be drinking lite beer." Two 1/2 Stars: "Posh rubbish." Three Stars: "I love whisk(e)y. This is average love." Three 1/2 Stars: "May buy again." Four Stars: "I've got to get you into my life." Four 1/2 Stars: "Better than drugs." Five Stars: "Life is good. Whisky makes it better."