Compass Box Tobias & The Angel

What an evening for a sample pour curtesy of @pkingmartin. Golden straw, probably around SG 1.010. Sorry for the comparison for those that get it. A good swirl causes a dense ring to form and then break into thick legs. Lovely notes of sweet, almost Pilsner-like malt and honey float up from the glass from a foot away. There’s a hearty amount of earthy peat, bit of leather and oddly maybe even denim. Going deeper there’s a tad of ginger, oak, lemon rind, red berries, brine, sandalwood and blonde espresso in there as well. So far this comes across as well balanced and unadulterated. The ethanol is inferred rather than detected. It’s like a Johnny Walker green without the puff of smoke or a more earthy and citrusy Springbank 10. Admittedly my experience is limited so I don’t have other great comparisons at this point. Maybe a more floral Highland Park 12 without the smoke. Oh so satisfying when it lands. The soft peat blanket comes in first, then a bit of heat and sweet, almost floral malt then more of the ginger and citrus… and those linger for quite a while. In fact the finish itself just doesn’t stop. It’s like watching tai-chi. Nothing abrupt. Minutes later the peat, mild oak, lemon, honey and ginger persist. This is what I imagine a full-proof hot toddy should be. There is no real phenol but it is almost medicinal in its own right. I have no idea what age this is but would guess 15 years or more. Answer please…Tobias and the Angel! Holy zikes I feel almost guilty drinking that!! Glad that the JW Green thought wasn’t too off since Caol Ila is a component of both. I’ve never had Clynelish or Caol Ila on their own but this makes me think I need to give them a try. I don’t know that I could buy this without my wife murdering me and covering it up for my life insurance, which would come close to covering the price of the bottle. I really love it, and gladly don’t miss it yet because it keeps on finishing with a tai-chi flow of sweet grain, peat and spicy citrus. Alas, old whiskey can indeed be good, quite good in fact. I love this finish!!!

I have finally tasted one of the bottles i have been looking for since my whisky journey started. The very hard to find, Compass Box Tobias & The Angel. This blended malt is described as a work of art, as its label, which is a famous Renaissance also called Tobias & the Angel, which describes a biblical passage, where Raphael the Archangel tells Tobias to grab a fish, which will be useful to him later. This painting comes from Verrocchio’s studio in Florence during the 15th century, and the dog and the fish of that painting where made by no other than Leonardo Da Vinci. It is a special Blended malt made of Caol Ila and Clynelish from undisclosed but "unlikely to source again" ages. Bottled at 47.6%abv. On the nose, it is beautifully fruity. Red fruit punch, Cherry syrup; Beautiful fruitiness. If something like orange spiciness exists, this has it. After a first sip it gave me a wonderful vanilla note with sparkling water. There is some lemon rising. On the palate, very sweet and enjoyable. Red fruits, Salt, Pepper. Oranges and waffer with vanilla. Aftertaste was lovely. Amazing Smoke, Sawdust; very Ashy. Everything perfectly delivered; Vanilla cream. Overall this is an elegant, clean, well crafted whisky. A truly enjoyable dram, which by no means is worth the 700 dollars that it costs per bottle nowadays. It is definitively a collector's item, and a great whisky, which i am happy to have had. My score for it is a solid 91 over 100. Sláinte! (Update: this seems to be a 24yo blended malt. Clynelish is 24yo and the Caol Ila is allegedly older)

Nose - mellow peat, creamy vanilla, caramelized apple and pear, milk chocolate, brown sugar, brine, honey, old book, coconut, toffee, black pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, rich maltiness, peach, orange, lemon, grass, moderate to high ethanol burn. Taste - smoked meat, mellow peat, toffee, coffee, milk chocolate, baked apple, apple pie, nutmeg, coconut, rich vanilla, honey, cinnamon, apricot, lemon and orange zest, mint, chili pepper, ginger, wet grass, moderate alcohol bite, finishing long with mellow peat, rich malt, and chocolate, and citrus flavors. The age comes through beautifully on this. The balance between smoke and fruit is amazing. The grain character is maintained but it’s deeply rich and velvety. I think the Clynelish fruitiness is slightly more pronounced on the nose, while the Caol Ila smoked meatiness presents more strongly on the palate. Tobias & The Angel is my first experience with whiskey this old. I’ve heard that the Islay footprint changes dramatically as time in the barrel progresses, but hadn’t experienced it until now. The peat is so mellow, almost milky. What a wonderful transformation from its boisterous, fiery youth. This is fantastic whiskey, and easily among the best I’ve ever tasted. As you might expect with a blend that contains 30+ year old components, this isn’t cheap. It looks like you can grab a bottle of it now for north of $600. At that price, I can’t say there’s any value to be found here. However if the budget permits, it’s difficult to imagine anyone being disappointed by this. I know I’m not. It’s a complete stunner, and my score reflects that. A huge thank you to @pkingmartin for providing the sample. This is the type of experience that makes me rethink the rest of my whiskey ratings. This completes my Compass Box review series, and what a great way to wrap it up. Next, I’ll be heading back home to review a set of four Lost Lantern offerings.

Very good balance between Caol Ila smoky and Clynelish sweet waxiness Nose: Smoke, Salt, Dark Chocolate, Vanilla, Caramel, Peaches, Oak, Cherries, Raisins, Mangoes, Campfire Marshmallows, Blackcurrants, Honey Palate: Cherries, Peaches, Dark Chocolate, Vanilla, Salted Caramel, Raisins, Toffee, Bananas, Coconut, Honey, Bananas, Oranges Finish: Sea Salt, Cod, Dark Chocolate, Oak, Toffee, Raisins, Honey, Vanilla, Citrus, Burnt Oranges, Apricots

Nose- Soft bonfire smoke, peaches in syrup, green herbs (thyme, rosemary), delicate fruits, aged oak, cinnamon spices Palate- Spiced honey initially, followed by a green vegetal note, washed over by light wispy peat smoke, a wave of tropical fruits and peaches, aged oak, and a spray of the sea Finish- Long, rich finish with notes of soft, earthen peat, delicate fruits, subtle kitchen spices, and aged oak This is a stunner. The nose is a symphony of notes, as my list went on and on. Beautiful balance of aromas. The palate sends you through waves of different flavors, and is rich and delicate at the same time, but overall extremely balanced. One of the longest finishes from a scotch that I can remember as well. Everything in this works perfectly, and I have 0 complaints.

Nose: Orchard fruit, tangerine rind, lemon, vanilla, honey suckle, cinnamon and light peat Taste: Extremely full mouthfeel, peaches, oranges, cinnamon, soft smoke, vanilla caramel Finish: Long with soft smoke, chocolate and mouth coating oily texture

I received this wonderful bottle as a birthday gift from my 3 brothers and my 2 sons. I only had one wee dram since I promised to hold the majority of the bottle until we can enjoy it together, but my first impression was that this is an amazing whiskey - so smooth with an almost magical blending of floral, sweet, and light peat flavors. It immediately has earned a spot on my top shelf and I cannot wait to revisit it again when the shelter in place is behind us and we can once again gather with good friends and family. I am an unabashed fan of Compass Box and this easily outranks 3 Year Old,Circus, and the 2012 Flaming Heart (which had been my favorite CBW).