Slainte-Mhath
Compass Box Oak Cross
Blended Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed
September 11, 2022 (edited December 11, 2022)
This expression features custom-made hybrid casks with American oak bodies and French oak heads, hence the name Oak Cross. Vivid, citric and quite fresh, the nose unfolds with peach, honeydew melon and lemongrass. Amaretto, oranges and hints of oak appear. On the palate, vanilla, walnuts and peppery spices are overshadowed by dry wood and menthol. The Clynelish is sitting firmly in the driver's seat. Crisp, semidry and spicy, the medium finish lingers with apples, nutmeg and hints of green tea. Not my favorite Compass Box, but still very decent.
RATING: 3.5/5.0 stars ≙ 84 pts → ABOVE AVERAGE
45.0
EUR
per
Bottle
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@cascode Sounds great! Let me know in case you'll be in Oslo.
@PBMichiganWolverine Snap. Mrs Cascode and I are having a European winter Christmas this year as well. Norway, Scotland, Amsterdam and Paris. If we don’t see the aurora this trip we’ll try Yellowknife next autumn. Fingers crossed.
@angstrom I am afraid you are right. 4-6 weeks seems reasonable. I will not write further reviews until my sense of smell and taste (and the fun) have returned, so this might take a while.
@Slainte-Mhath just individual resistance. I’ve had the two original shots +booster, and somehow have escaped having any Covid. Despite being massless at Disney World with a crowd of thousands.
@Slainte-Mhath Only had once, but full smell and taste took 6 weeks for me. Whiskey during that time tasted like garbage. Hope you have a shorter cycle time!
I'm either unlucky or these vaccines are pretty useless, as I'm currently recovering from my second round of COVID-19. Nose and palate are significantly impaired, so I guess my review schedule goes down the toilet. I made tasting notes on Compass Box The Spaniard a week ago, but tasting it today, there is not much I recognize. I think I've to rely on my first impression and postpone the rest until my senses have recovered, which may take a while as I learned in 2020.
@Slainte-Mhath on a totally unrelated subject, was hoping you can advise. We’re thinking of trying our luck for northern lights in late December in Norway. We’re thinking flying to Oslo, then maybe staying in Tromso, but not sure. Any suggestions? We can discuss offline via email as well
@angstrom I agree, Orchard House is a more consistent core range bottle, and I actually like it more than Oak Cross. I know many people complain about Compass Box prices, but hey, I have yet to find a bad expression, and at least their core range bottles are fairly priced.
@Slainte-Mhath Agreed. Probably had their mind made up to go the route of Orchard House. Honestly, probably a good choice. Fits better into their portfolio. Too much overlap with Oak Cross and Spice Tree.
@angstrom Oak Cross is very floral indeed. It's funny that they discontinued Oak Cross, as 'they can no longer source all the components' of this blend. It's certainly not the Clynelish, maybe the Teaninich? Who knows.
@Slainte-Mhath I thought Oak Cross was very floral. Almost like roses or grandma’s perfume. Very enjoyable dram. Way less oak than I expected with the name.
Additional comment: I will conclude my review of the Compass Box core range with The Story of the Spaniard later this month. Then, I'll focus on some of the Limited Releases, starting with Menagerie, Experimental Grain and No Name, before ending this mini series with Flaming Heart.
Additional information: This blended malt contains 60% Clynelish, 20% Teaninich and 20% Dailuaine. It was discontinued in 2021 and replaced by Orchard House.