Review by: dustbunna
Distillery: Multiple.
Bottler: Compass Box.
Region: Blended malt.
ABV: 53.9%. Cask strength.
Age: NAS but components 9-12 years old. Bottled in 2022.
Cask type: Mostly first-fill and refill hogsheads vatted with sherry puncheons:
- 35% 9yr Williamson (=Laphroaig, refill hhds)
- 34.2% 12yr Caol Ila (refill hhds)
- 17.9% 12yr Caol Ila (ff bourbon barrels)
- 11.1% 11yr Caol Ila (refill sherry puncheons)
- 1.1% 12yr Highland Blend (CB’s custom casks w/ toasted French oak ends)
Price: $135 USD for 700mL.
Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.
Bottle open across approx. 4 months, notes taken leisurely across that period. Bold notes taken beneath the shoulder (notes consistent throughout the bottle.)
Nose: lemon oil, cleansers, minerals (chalk, wet rocks), Luxardo cherries, earth.
Palate: thick, full-bodied ~ pipe smoke, more minerals, citrus zests (orange, lemon, grapefruit), icing sugar, cold coffee.
Finish: very long ~ tons more minerals and pipe smoke, more lemon oil, moss, hints of TCP.
Conclusion: Really delicious, very predictable and consistent through to the end. It’s a little expensive for what you get, though honestly, that’s been my experience with most Compass Box releases. Mostly driven by the Caol Ila, with just a hint of the Laphroaig coming through at the end. Ultimately it’s relatively simple but quite well-done, bourbon-barrel-driven young Islay smoke, with just enough dimension from the vatting to set it apart from a standard IB Caol Ila, and I’m here for it.
Final Score: 86.
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.
Malt Runners 