Compass Box Experimental Grain Whisky

Review by: Raygun

Compass Box already does a blended grain in the form of Hedonism, but in 2021 also released this prosaically named limited edition. Slightly more than half consists of 24-year-old grain whisky from North British and Cameronbridge. Another 31% is 11-year-old peated malt whisky from Loch Lomond, that is still classified as grain because it was made on their column still. The remaining nearly 18% is made up of Hedonism. Reviewed from a sample. Rested about 15 minutes.

Distillery: Mainly North British, Cameronbridge, and Loch Lomond

Bottler: Compass box  

Region/style: Blended grain Scotch

ABV: 46%

Age: Ranges from 11 to 24 years. Released in 2021.       

Cask type: Bourbon barrels and recharred American oak casks

Color: 0.9 amontillado. Natural color and non-chill-filtered.

Nose: Vanilla and varnish are the main notes. Faint notes of citrus, reminding me of orange wine. Some banana.                   

Palate: Vanilla cream, but unfortunately there’s the varnish, too. A little orange, banana, and pineapple. The chemical harshness is unfortunate. Otherwise, it’s pretty simple. Does better with some air, picking up more pineapple and cream.    

Finish: Vanilla, orange, and oak. The varnish flavor is mostly gone, but there isn’t much else in its place. Still a touch of banana. Maybe a wisp of smoke, but hard to find the peat.   

Conclusion: Not my cup of tea. I’m not usually a fan of banana flavors and the varnish doesn’t help either. Even at nearly a third peated malt, it was hard to pick up much peat. I wasn’t overly fond of Hedonism and I’m not overly fond of this. Grain whiskies have seldom impressed. Those who like grain might find it better than I did.

Score: 71

Scoring Legend:

  • 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky. (Convalmore 36)
  • 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category. (Bruichladdich Black Art 4.1)
  • 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram. (Ledaig 13 Amontillado)
  • 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff. (Tomatin 18)
  • 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting. (Glen Scotia 15)
  • 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better. (Aultmore 12)
  • 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink. (Glenmorangie 10)
  • 50-59: Save it for mixing. (Old Pulteney 12)
  • 0-49: Blech. (Muirhead’s Silver Seal 16)

Published by Raygun

Unknown's avatar

I drank Scotch occasionally (mostly at family gatherings) for years, but started getting more interested after an introduction and tasting from a Scottish acquaintance. That led to buying my first bottle (Highland Park 12). Now 600+ spirits later, Scotch is still my first love, but I drink other whisky and dabble in brandy as well.

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