Review by: zSolaris

Image Credit: /u/dustbunna, his review can be found here.

Distillery: Blend.

Bottler: Compass Box.

Region: Blend.

Blend Components:

• 39% Linkwood 8 Year First Fill Bourbon Barrel
• 29% Clynelish 8 Year First Fill Bourbon Barrel
• 20% Benrinnes 8 Year First Fill Bourbon Barrel
• 8% “Distillery near the town of Aberlour” 6 Year Revatted Oloroso Sherry-Seasoned Butt
• 2% Caol Ila 8 Year
• 2% Highland Malt Blend (Glen Moray, Balmenach, Tomatin) 10 Year Custom Heavy Toast French Oak Barrel

Age: NAS.

ABV: 46.0%.

Price: Sample courtesy of /u/dustbunna.

Color: 0.3, Pale Gold.

---

Nose: It comes across much hotter than 46%. There’s a ton of acetone notes here and I can’t quite get past them.

Palate: There isn’t a ton going on here. It’s very, very light and easy to drink though. A bit of hay, a touch of malt and earth. That’s about it.

Finish: Quite short. Little more of the malt.

---

Conclusion: Compass Box has a knack for really showcasing how fantastic blends can be, making things that can be greater than the sum of its parts. At the price point this one is at, I didn’t expect something marvelous but I did hope to see them deliver something fun. Unfortunately, I think they’ve managed to give us something that is significantly less than the sum of it’s parts. It’s really easy to drink, but that’s the problem. This dram was virtually flavorless for me, to the point where I had a hard time writing tones because I couldn’t get any notes (and I had my palate checked, it was fine). There’s not a ton going on, which is a shame since Linkwood, Clynelish, and Benrinnes are some of my favorite distilleries. Oh well, can’t win them all.

Final Score: 65.

---

Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.