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