Compass Box Rogues’ Banquet
Blended Scotch Whisky
46% ABV
$220 – $240
Website
What the Blender Says
When we conceived the idea for Rogues’ Banquet last year, we felt that a collection of our favourite Compass Box personalities and an opulent liquid would be the ideal means by which to begin our 20th anniversary celebrations. We could not have known that, by the time our whisky arrived in the parts of the world that had placed orders for it, all get-togethers would have to be put on hold. For a while – we trust not forever.
Rogues’ Banquet is made for the gourmands and the hedonists who have accompanied us for the last 20 years. The label shows a fantastical depiction of the kind of gatherings we hope to have in the future when we have all overcome these present circumstances.
To create Rogues’ Banquet, we have combined malt whiskies from the Miltonduff, Clynelish and Glen Elgin Distilleries with grain whisky from the North British Distillery. Rogues’ Banquet offers an opulent array of textures as well as flavours, from tropical fruits to stem ginger and toffee.
The whisky has been dispatched; it will start to appear on shelves around the world soon. Whenever the right time to open a bottle of Rogues’ Banquet arrives, to share and enjoy it with suitable exuberance, we will be with you. In the meantime, please support your communities.
FLAVOUR PROFILE
Rogues’ Banquet boasts flavours of softened tropical fruits, stem ginger and pastry cream. Fragrant yet full-bodied, it has a long and satisfying finish.
Not Chill-Filtered
Natural Colour
A limited edition of 5,267 bottles.
February 2020.
Lead Whiskymaker: James Saxon
What Gary Says
Nose: Rich, creamy, musky and fruity, a comfortable leather chair in an oak paneled library; apricots, figs, apples, pears, peaches, hint of mango, gentle spices with almonds.
Palate: Creamy mouthfeel with apricots and papaya, a nutty spice note with nutmeg, pepper, and orange bitters.
Finish: Long, slightly drying with cracked pepper, oak and dried fruit.
Comments: Ok, I’m definitely biased when I read ‘Compass Box’ on the label because much of what they put out there I enjoy either a little or a lot. This is a deliciously complex dram, like so many others they produce. But many others are less expensive. If this was $125-$150, I’d be all over it. Price/value is an individual decision – I can’t say it isn’t worth it; only that there are other whiskies they’ve put out for much less that I liked a lot. This takes water well, but at 46% ABV doesn’t need it.