Compass Box This Is Not a Luxury Whisky

So I'm finally getting around to reviewing this limited release from Compass Box Whisky. I was lucky enough to get a generous sample from my friend Lee. I've had it for a while and since I'm between rounds of our distillery tour now is the perfect time to get to know it. This is a blended scotch with malts from Caol Ila and Glen Ord and grain whisky from Girvan and Strathclyde. The Caol Ila is only 4% of the total recipe but it's a mature 30 years old. Bottled at cask strength, 53.1% ABV, natural color of golden syrup and non chill filtered. The nose starts with a sort of sherry citrus like lemons and raisins. After some time it turns more to dark cherries and dates. New leather and cocoa powder. Softer notes like coconut cream, vanilla and fudge come into existence with toasted oak and a nice thread of smoke. Plums and prunes and some nice floral notes are in there as well. There is a lot of American oak at play here presenting notes like ripe banana, caramel and toffee and maybe some almonds. Very mature, full and rich. The palate arrives very peppery and powerful, a huge surprise compared to the nose. Sherry oak, leather and cherry syrup. Like the nose I get coconut cream, cocoa and vanilla. There is a faint orange note in there as well. Caramel, cinnamon and clove. After that it's just more peppery assaults on the tongue. Quite strong. A very oily mouthfeel. Mouthwatering at first but it does turn dry. The finish is medium long, slightly smoky with sherry oak and cherry. I wasn't really sure what kind of profile I was expecting here, but I am certainly not walking away disappointed. It's powerful but has an elegance to it. I have to say, as good as it is I think I prefer the Lost Blend over this one. It's the palate that was the deciding factor. It's just too strong to be a relaxing sipper. It demands much of you unless you add water, which I don't really enjoy doing. Still, I'm very happy to say that I have had a taste of this very limited release. Thanks Lee. Closer to 4.25 than 4.5 Cheers

This just validates my love affair with Compass Box. Yes, they're getting pricier and pricier---as evidenced by their latest offerings, but they do make good stuff. John Glaser and company have proven once again the artistry behind chemistry. Anyone can take mixes and blend them together, but it takes a real artist-chemist to take the right portions, the right age, and the right casks to make magic. I don't care much for their marketing and sticking-it-to-the-man type advertising ( like "3" which has a wee bit of a 3 year old Clynelish, and rest as 20+ year old Talisker and Clyenish), but they do make good stuff. This is a tinge of smoky, sweet--- Caol Ila written all over it. And a well mannered Caol Ila at that...obviously aged. Smoke, chocolate on the nose. Luscious creamy smoky milky texture on the tongue. Simply well made blend. ( Johnnie Walker...you taking notes?) Thanks to Lee for providing a generous sample! Lee---when I open up my "3", will need to send over a sample.

I've been dying to bust open a nicer bottle in my collection at some point through the holidays, and between work and now some bad weather, I've finally had some spare time (stuck) at home so I grabbed for the bottle that has been intriguing me the most since I bought it: This Is Not A Luxury Whisky from John Glaser and Compass Box. Silly name and packaging aside, let's get into this one properly. It's packaging is a flimsy, cardboard box and the bottle label appears to be hand-written with a cheap, gold marker. There was only a thin strip of gold, foil tape (reminiscent of old, cheap American bourbon) going across the cork. It was easily opened with a quick snip from a pocket knife. (Quick note: that should be considered shameful as there is some really old and expensive juice in the blend and to not air seal the cork is reprehensible.). I get the whole premise here with the cheap looking packaging and actually find it humorous, as intended. It's cask strength at 106.2 proof, is non-chill filtered and has no added color. This bottling was limited to just under 5,000 bottles and I found it online for just shy of $180. A bargain considering newer CBW releases have been asking close to $300 (Circus, 3 Year Deluxe). Enough babbling, on to reviewing what's inside. It's slick and deep amber in color and giving it a spin in the Glencairn causes it to stick like glue to the sides of the glass. Not much leg action at all. Thick and oily. After resting for about 20 minutes the nose is amazing: new leather belt, chocolate, gentle smoke and ripe bananas. I could sit and nose this one all day long. That first sip is heavenly. The initial heat from the high proof just sizzles your tongue to life. As the heat subsides your tongue is left oily with quite a bit more smoke than I expected (30 year old Caol Ila is the only smoky malt used and it makes up around 4% of the blend). There's underlying notes of leather again, figs and wet hay. There's a bit of caramel-covered apple as well. Freaking incredible! The finish is long, bitter and a bit hot but damn if it doesn't feel like it really needs to be. It burns away the oil left behind on the palate and leaves you begging for another hit. As it settles, a faint wisp of smoke rises up and singes the nose to remind you that you're drinking whisky right now. It's a completely amazing experience. I get it, John Glaser. This isn't a luxury whisky because it needs to be drank. Setting this ugly bottle on your bartop should lead to your friends grabbing it, popping the cork, blurting out "I'll just try this one", turning the bottle to the sky and gasping for breath as they instantly become scotch whisky fans. Now, if you'll kindly make more of this while dropping the asking price to around $100 a bottle... Wrapping up this long-winded review, so I can drink some more, I gotta say (without going through my entire scotch review list) that this blended whisky has jumped to the top of my non-peated favorites list. Go online, find the remaining bottles of this non-luxury sauce, and buy one. If I could give it more than 5 stars on this non-luxury whisky app, I would. Cheers, you bottom shelf whisky sippers. Lol