Compass Box Spice Tree

A lot going on here... Malted barley, cantaloupe, apple, dates on the nose. all that, plus... fruitcake? smooth mouth feel. hint of smoke on the exhale. Really, really good. needs another half a star

It’s late on a Saturday evening. House is still. Listening to the Beatles (ahh, The Beatles) countdown on my stereo (in the top 30 now). I picked this Spice Tree up while in Maryland and at an attractive price (I have seen the price of this all over the map from store to store). Intriguing packaging, as Compass Box always seem to create. But it’s about the whisky, not the packaging that matters. The opening on the nose is cloyingly sweet with the subtle current of baking spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom. The subtle sweetness is comprised of ripe Granny Smith apples, vanilla, butterscotch and bakers chocolate. There is a mild earthiness of dried, fallen leaves on a warm October. Some old, worn leather or suede. A touch of salted mixed nuts weaves through. A very well balanced and inviting nose. The palate is sweet and spicy; an embodiment of the nose. The sweetness is initially more detectable than the spice, but marginally so. Butterscotch, vanilla, caramel, toasted marshmallows are the sweet notes. Those sweet notes rapidly shift to the spicy side (of course): cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves. The mouthfeel is slightly dense and mildly oily. A drop or two of water soften the slight jagged borders and brings forth more orange rind and ginger ale. As the palate fades, what remains are slight hints of oak, orange bitters ginger, black pepper. Semisweet chocolate notes finishes the fade and the mouth is ultimately left with some oak and spearmint. Compass Box/John Glaser & company are masterful blenders. The Spice Tree is expertly balanced between spice and sweetness; one sensation never overpowering the other. A perfect late autumn sipper when the air is crisp, the leaves are sienna and crimson and scattered about. Another great blend (better than most single malts) from the one of the best blenders. [$45][90/100][Tasted: 9/1/19]