Compass Box Oak Cross

Nose: Fruity and fragrant, with honey, vanilla, banana and peaches all apparent. There are also herbal and cereal aromas and, surprisingly, only a moderate oak presence. Palate: The arrival is a whole bowl of fruit salad, toasted muesli, nuts and cream dressed with mellow spices. Quite gentle and delicate and again there is a restrained oak touch. Finish: Medium/long. The palate merges slowly into the aftertaste. The foundation is solid and very fine oak which gives structure and purpose to what might otherwise be an over-sweet dram. The oak presence is a focus, but not an unbalancing one. This whisky is precisely positioned between Asyla and Spice Tree in character - the soft, light and luscious waxy flavours of Asyla and hints of the robust fullness of Spice Tree. I like it and it is good value. It is more expensive than many other blends, but you're getting a premium product intended for sipping. Try tasting some of the mainstream blends after this and you'll immediately see how dull, syrupy and lifeless a lot of them are - even the good ones. Actually the biggest competition against this whisky is Compass Box's own Spice Tree, which is bigger in just about every respect and much the same price, but this maybe has the edge if you prefer a little less spice and more of a cereal personality. "Good" : 84/100 (3.5 stars)

There is just way too much nail polish remover or young spirit character in the nose of this blend. The better aspects are like a light Highland malt, with a tiny bit of green grape and apple, and a healthy, fibrous wood. The palate is extremely woody again but also a little sour; licorice and ginger are the only two other flavors I note here. The finish is quite bitter, ranging from green grass to fresh wood; to its credit, it is long, but it has a surprising amount of bite at this low proof. If tasted blind, I would have assumed this was a young well whiskey, so I'm not impressed. The only other Compass Box blends I've had are Great King Street and Asyla, which are a lot better and cheaper. Pass on Oak Cross.