Scottish Whisky

Compass Box Crimson Casks

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

Compass Box Crimson Casks
Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

46% ABV
$75
Website
Compass Box Crimson Casks Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
We would like to thank Compass Box for sending us a sample to review.

What the Blender Says

Majestic, rich and balanced intensity.

TRANSFORMATIVE SHERRY CASKS
The crown of oak speaks volumes. Its message can be read like the rings of a tree. For this is our majestic king, and his influence over our realm of flavour is unmistakable.​

A regal sage, he is our timeless connection to the ancient forest and the power of nature. And in his hands, this power does not corrupt. It transforms. When he emerges from the woodland, he brings to our blending table the magic of metamorphosis.​

His touch is there in the way he imparts a warm, generous nuttiness into every fibre of our crimson casks. And the result? A domino effect of spicy, sherried richness. Liquid into wood, into liquid again, intensifying at every moment. It feels near miraculous.​

Yet there is method in this magic. Our mysterious visitor is no wizard of the woods, no trickster dancing with abandon between the branches. We understand each other deeply, and the profound​ knowledge of flavour he has gathered through time immeasurable is his greatest gift.​

And by sharing this gift with us, he is strengthening the roots that have always entwined the human spirit with the forest.​

Heavy may be the head that wears the crown, but he carries it like the most kindly of kings. He is magisterial. Powerful. Yet balanced by a benevolent generosity that says ‘what’s mine is yours – enjoy…’​

So, will you do him the honour?

Flavour profile
Chocolate fudge cake undercut with clove and cardamom, with hints of plum jam and redcurrant jelly, then rich cherry, toffee and oak, finished with raisin, honey and brown sugar.

Natural colour | Not chill-filtered | Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
First Released: 2024

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich, dark fruits, sandalwood, leather, toffee, smoke, hint of balsamic and subtle earthiness.
Palate:  Creamy and rich with dark fruits, raisins, plums, cinnamon, honey, chocolate and earthy notes.
Finish:  Moderately long, drying slightly with earthy notes, cinnamon and fruit cake.
Comments:  The color on this dram advertises sherry and it delivers that in spades. Just an absolutely lovely whisky! Appreciate the 46% ABV (although I’ll bet I wouldn’t hate it at a few points higher, maybe a limited edition offering at cask strength in the future?) A bit of water introduces a more citrus bend on the palate, but I prefer this one neat. This was the second tasting sample I received (along with Nectarosity), and I liked this one the best.

Rating: Must Try

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Compass Box Nectarosity

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

Compass Box Nectarosity
Blended Scotch Whisky

46% ABV
$65
Website
Compass Box Nectarosity Blended Scotch Whisky
We would like to thank Compass Box for sending us a sample to review.

What the Blender Says

WHISKY MEETS PATISSERIE
Behind the most exquisite patisseries are test kitchens of invention. Places buzzing with energy where chefs obsess over every flake of fractured crust, every curl of custard cream. Part artistry, part alchemy, this is mastery at work. And when their experimentation creates a true harmony of flavour, it has to be shared. Because generosity drives this endeavour. If nectar is the food of the gods, and joy comes from celebrating with others, then we need a new word for that irresistible urge.
And that word is ‘Nectarosity’.

Special American oak barrels are deployed twice. First to impart sweet spice to grain spirit, which finishes maturing in other casks. Once ‘prepared’, the barrels age malt whisky. We expertly blend these two characterful whiskies with selected others to dial up the fruit and toffee notes.

Joyously zesty with honey, lychee, juicy apricot and pineapple. Toffee and vanilla pull off a palate takeover, with lasting flavours of cinnamon bun.

Natural colour | Not chill-filtered | Blended Scotch Whisky
First Released: 2024

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich and fruity, peaches, grapes, tangerines, tropical fruit notes of kiwi, candied pineapple and a hint of mango with wisps of heather.
Palate:  Bright and fruity, pears, peaches, cherries, apricots, creamy vanilla, honey and cinnamon.
Finish:  Moderately long and creamy with cinnamon, honey and tangerines.
Comments:  Delightfully fruity without being cloyingly so. Not overly complex but not meant to be – and priced to be enjoyed. I received this not as an industry sample but as a Compass Box fan that signed up for a tasting (which unfortunately circumstances prevented me from joining the live tasting, and while promised a video replay link I wasn’t able to find that anywhere). Both sample bottles were simply labeled N and C, with the teaser ‘Taste the Interesting’. Both were there, and hopefully bode well for the future of Compass Box.

Rating: Stands Out

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Compass Box The Peat Monster Cask Strength Origin Story

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

Compass Box The Peat Monster Cask Strength Origin Story
Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

56.7% ABV
$125
Website
Compass Box The Peat Monster Cask Strength Origin Story

What the Blender Says

While The Peat Monster may boast purely Scottish ancestry, this is a whisky born in the USA. To mark its 20th birthday, and to celebrate America’s influence on Scotch whisky more broadly, we have finished some of this whisky in very special seasoned virgin American white oak barrels.

FLAVOUR PROFILE
On the nose; sooty barbecue smoke, green apple and powerfully aromatic citrus oils, all underpinned by warming cinnamon. On the palate; tarry, smoked almond, with the seasoned virgin oak delivering added richness and vanilla notes alongside seaweed, cayenne pepper and saltiness.

SERVING RECOMMENDATIONS
Wherever you enjoy your whisky, join us in toasting two decades of The Peat Monster and the close whiskymaking ties linking Scotland with America.

TECHNICAL DETAILS
Bottled at 56.7% ABV | Natural colour | Not chill-filtered
Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
A limited edition of 9,126 bottles
December 2022

LEAD WHISKYMAKER
James Saxon & Alex Driver

What Gary Says

Nose:  Smokey peaty goodness! Creosote, nylon rope, sea salt, toffee, cocoa and butterscotch.
Palate:  Rich and thick, sweet with caramel, marzipan, cinnamon, chocolate, peat, coconut, brown sugar and chili oil.
Finish:  Long and syrupy yet drying with toffee, peat and pepper.
Comments:  Thick, sweet and peaty – all the things I’d hoped for! Just delicious. This opens up with some time in the glass, bringing out more sweet notes on the nose that initially are squarely ‘in your face peat’ (which I don’t mind). A bit of water thickens this dram up even more. I’ll be honest – The Peat Monster was never my favorite from the core range at Compass Box, but I always enjoyed the Cask Strength versions. I don’t have any others laying around to directly compare against, but fairly certain this would be my favorite one yet.

Rating: Must Try

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Clynelish 1995 26 Year Old 50th Anniversary

/ / Highland, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Clynelish 1995 26 Year Old 50th Anniversary
Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
The Whisky Exchange Exclusive

51.5% ABV
$475-$500
Website
Clynelish 1995 26 Year Old 50th Anniversary Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

What the Retailer Says

A specially selected 26-year-old Clynelish, distilled in 1995 and bottled for the 50th anniversary of The Whisky Exchange’s co-founders’ family starting in the drinks industry. This was bottled from a pair of casks – a refill sherry butt and a hogshead – and brings together the best of both of those styles of Clynelish whisky: rich and fruity, and fresh and fruity, all-wrapped in the distillery’s classic waxy character.

Tasting Notes
Nose: Toffee apples, raisin-studded shortbread and candied citrus peel at first. The fruit intensifies, backed up by gummi bears, buttered apples, white-wine-poached pears and traditional Clynelish waxed-jacket notes. Hints of sweet butter poke out in between the fruit, with milk and white chocolate hiding behind.
Palate: Royal icing and sugar-coated almonds fade beneath mint fondant and the fruit from the nose – fresh orchard fruit, gummi sweets, zingy citrus and some sweet pineapple. Gently drying apple skin notes develop alongside a touch of menthol.
Finish: Mint and green grass are joined by milk chocolate. Green apples linger.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich but delicate, fruity with pears, apples and apricots, heather, pineapple, mango, tahini and melted wax.
Palate:  Thick and cream mouthfeel, waxy with fruit notes before a sharp bit of pepper spice, lemon and pinepple.
Finish:  Moderately long and syrupy with fruit salad, sandalwood and tahini.
Comments:  Classic Clynelish waxy notes. As with many mature whiskies, this benefits from time in the glass (some say a minute for every year; I’m not that patient but a good 10-12 minutes definitely made a difference). A very nice dram to sit back and sip on. While I enjoyed it, the nose advertised a complexity and nuance that I didn’t get on the palate (although could just be me). The palate turned sharp before all of the fruit notes stepped forward, although the tahini note is one I don’t come across often and I did enjoy here.

Rating: Stands Out

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Johnnie Walker Blue Label Legendary Eight

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

Johnnie Walker Blue Label Legendary Eight
Blended Scotch Whisky

43.8% ABV
$350
Website
Johnnie Walker Blue Label Legendary Eight Blended Scotch Whisky

What the Retailer* Says

Johnnie Walker Blue Label Legendary Eight is a smooth, mellow Scotch made using some of their rarest whiskies from across the untamed fields of Scotland, including exceptionally rare whiskies from ‘ghost’ distilleries. Each whisky is hand selected from eight legendary distilleries – featured on the bottle and pack – that existed when John Walker made his first steps embarking on his journey that began 200 years ago.

Johnnie Walker’s small team of 12 expert whisky makers came together to create this exceptional Scotch inspired by rare whiskies from these iconic and pioneering distilleries. This new limited edition release of Johnnie Walker Blue Label is a rare jewel crafted using Scotch from the legendary distilleries of Oban, Blair Athol, Lagavulin, Teaninich, Brora, Cambus, Port Dundas and Carsebridge.

“It’s fascinating to reflect on the idea that these famous distilleries also walked a 200-year journey and their whiskies still inspire us today. This new limited edition celebrates that shared experience and the contribution these rare whiskies continue to make to Johnnie Walker today and into tomorrow.”
-Jim Beveridge, Johnnie Walker Master Blender

NOSE: The blend is rich with layers of brown sugars, soft fruit and sweet wood. These flavors evolve to reveal hints of green apple and a subtle zest; complementing the gentle peat unfolding in the background to give an overarching warming sensation.
PALATE: A wonderful sweetness envelops the taste buds, through which notes of stone fruits, stewing apples and cocoa emerge.
FINISH: A wisp of smoke comes through to deepen the flavor resulting in a soft and lightly peppered finish.

* Could find no reliable source of information from the blender/producer; above is from a retailer’s description.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Pleasant, floral, dried fruit with peaches and apple cider, brown sugar and earthy underpinnings.
Palate:  Apples, pears, peaches with a tangy butterscotch with subtle but building pepper spice.
Finish:  Moderately long with fruit, vanilla and pepper.
Comments:  This is a well balanced dram, with sweet, savory, and just a hint of peat. Very easy to drink, although at this price point I’d expect more complexity. Johnnie Walker Blue is one of these well known higher-end pours that I’ve never quite gotten (don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate it, but didn’t love it either). I bought a JW sample pack years ago just to try it, and unfortunately that sample is long gone. But in reviewing my review notes from that, this strikes a very similar note. A nice enough dram, but premium price would leave me passing it by personally.

Rating: Stands Out

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