Compass Box Juveniles

(The Good Spirits Company, Glasgow - Virtual Whisky Tasting, Friday 14th August 2020) I like the transparency of Compass Box. Although current regulations don’t permit them to put the breakdown of the blend on the bottle, a quick internet search allows you to see what you are drinking. I’d have liked to see the ages, but that’s a minor reservation. Strathmill, refill hogshead: 34% Balmenach, refill hogshead: 34% Clynelish, re-charred hogsheads: 20% Clynelish, refill sherry butt: 10% Glendullan, first fill sherry butt: 2% Nose: Strong bourbon influence. Fruity and vanilla. Palate: A little ‘hot’ on the first taste but quickly calms into the main flavours. Clean and fruity (pears), some light oak. Finish: Short finish. Creamy, malty (Horlicks). Salty and herbal at the very end. This has a lovely mouth feel. It’s a smooth, easy to drink blended malt. This came joint third of the six whiskies tasted with 10% of the vote for favourite.

The nose is light and possibly young (though not excessively so) with some nice complexity. It has a surprising amount of Sherry presence with some vanilla, giving it a sweet profile. There's maybe something a hint nutty here too that gives it some richness. The palate has more cardboard and waxiness than expected. It's also less fruity and fairly numbing. It isn't terribly sweet. It reminds me a bit of Glenfiddich 14 Bourbon with its general malty character. It definitely tastes like a 12 year scotch. There are a lot of standard scotch flavors in here, but nothing really exciting. This might be about on the level of Highland Park 12, but it's a bit more watery without the smoke and some alcohol stars coming out.

Translucent yellow-gold. Nose has smoke and a nose hair tingling burn. Once past that initial hit, it mellows to aromas of vanilla and coconut. The palate is very smooth and clean with a slight oily viscosity. Flavors resemble the nose with an added red fruit component. Pleasant burn down the throat and an almost numbing feeling on the tongue. I love compass box but as good as this is, I’m underwhelmed for the price tag.

I quite enjoyed this one. Very simple flavoured dram, light and ethereal but carries and delivers the vanilla note well. I'm alternating between a 3.5 and 3.75 on this one. 3.5 because it's simple but 3.75 because it does simple in a very well balanced rounded way. Started at a 3.75 as after the poorly constructed Tomatin 18 which showed complete lack of care, skill or respect for the distillate this does. But then towards the end got slightly boring and i saw what the price was so 3.5 it is. But then after reviewing all drams on the day this was 2nd or 3rd so back to 3.75 it is. Now interestingly value wise this was £100 pounds which was an exorbitant rip off. I appear to be not the only one who thought so as MoM now has it 1/3rd off at £65. Looks like the CB bubble if not whiskey in general is about to deflate if not burst...about time. There are a few expressions which come to mind, about those swimming naked when the tide flows out and the emporer having no clothes which are now going to come into play (ok the moral of those stories doesn't actually apply to overpriced whiskeys trading on their status for a price premium but the figurative implications sound close :-))

Nose: Ginger, grapefruit, lemongrass and light oak Taste: Medium mouthfeel, lemongrass, peaches, burnt toast Finish: Medium length with lemon, light oak and baking spices

Have I said before that I love Compass Box? They are truly making some of the best bottles on the market. Nose on this has hints of smoke and anise. Flavor brings light showers of vanilla followed by a rush of caramel. Finish is a mellow smolder of heat and burnt creme brulee sugar. Overall another solid offering.

Nose: sweet cereal grains, honey, Fuji and green apples, subtle floral (carnations?), slight coconut. Taste: similar notes as above, heavy on the honey, good mouthfeel. Finish: surprisingly long given the abv. Oak, grains, floral. 94/100* *I rank my whiskey based on a 100 point scale. It is a cumulative score with each category of nose, taste, finish, and balance worth up to 25 points. Here is how this score translates to the number of stars I give: 0 stars = 50 or below 1 star = 60 2 stars = 70 3 stars = 80 4 stars = 90 5 stars = 100 The score is rounded to the closest 1/4 star increment.