Compass Box Delos is a limited release of 5,520 bottles. It is a blended Scotch that is 33.4% Imperial single malt aged in first fill bourbon, 28.5% Glen Elgin single malt aged in recharred American oak, 21.2% Miltonduff single malt aged in first fill bourbon, and 16.9% The Cameronbridge single grain aged in first fill bourbon. It is one of four releases in Compass Box’s Extinct Quartet series, which are blends that are inspired by blends of yesteryear, which are no longer released. Delos is inspired by Compass Box’s Asyla. Delos is bottled at 49% ABV and sells for around $300-350. I remember Asyla for not being memorable. It was a decent summer sipper that satisfied a craving for a mellow, vanilla ex-bourbon only Scotch that had no noise from sherry maturation or peat. Delos is an expensive take on being unmemorable. This is a flawless first fill bourbon matured whisky. Whereas “mature” was debatable with Asyla, Delos is clearly well aged. The crisp vanilla and fruitcake notes of first fill bourbon are complemented by some dusty leather, apricots, must, and an exquisitely rich honey. The mouthfeel for Asyla is thick and syrupy, like honey. There is a transition from an initially creamy, sweet profile to a grassy, herbaceous finish. This is honestly lovely. I’d imagine this is what would happen to Asyla if you put Asyla into a bourbon cask for 20 years. I dare not open a bottle of Asyla to compare it to Delos because Asyla on the secondary market is about the price of Delos, which highlights the problem with Compass Box releases: they are pricey, and they are collectible. I would not say that Delos is overpriced, because that well-aged Imperial single malt is not something you can just find on a liquor store shelf, but is opening a bottle worth it? 10 years from now, I’m not going to remember Delos except that it was a very nice whisky, and it was expensive, and, when it climbs to $1000 on the secondary market, it was a bottle that I shouldn’t have opened. Compass Box has recent releases that I do not regret opening – Vellichor was like a woman shredding an electric guitar in a library – but Delos? It’s like a woman playing a harp at a fancy restaurant. It’s nice; it’s quaint; but it’s ultimately a chunk of money for something forgettable.