COMPASS BOX OAK CROSSCompany: Compass Box
Type: Blended Malt
Distilleries: approximately 60% Clynelish, 20% Dailuane, and 20% Teaninch
Age: used to be about 10 years old, not sure if it's still that old
Maturation: "...primary maturation in a mix of American oak cask types. The marrying casks are a mix of first-fill Bourbon barrels and our proprietary “Oak Cross” casks made of American and new French oaks."
Maturation: "...primary maturation in a mix of American oak cask types. The marrying casks are a mix of first-fill Bourbon barrels and our proprietary “Oak Cross” casks made of American and new French oaks."
Alcohol by Volume: 43%
Chillfiltered? No
Color added? No
Chillfiltered? No
Color added? No
COMPASS BOX SPICE TREE
Company: Compass Box
Type: Blended Malt
Distilleries: approximately 60% Clynelish, 20% Dailuane, and 20% Teaninch
Age: used to be about 10 years old, not sure if it's still that old
Maturation: "Primary maturation: first-fill and refill American oak.Secondary maturation: custom barrels with heavily toasted new French oak heads sourced from 195 year-old Vosges forests"
Maturation: "Primary maturation: first-fill and refill American oak.Secondary maturation: custom barrels with heavily toasted new French oak heads sourced from 195 year-old Vosges forests"
Alcohol by Volume: 46%
Chillfiltered? No
Color added? No
Chillfiltered? No
Color added? No
COMPASS BOX PEAT MONSTERCompany: Compass Box
Type: Blended Malt
Distilleries: Ardmore, Laphroaig (current batch), Ledaig (current batch), Caol Ila (past batches)
Age: ???
Maturation: Fact sheet says just refill American oak, Tasting video says "30% first fill American oak, 70% refill American oak", so it might change from batch to batch
Maturation: Fact sheet says just refill American oak, Tasting video says "30% first fill American oak, 70% refill American oak", so it might change from batch to batch
Alcohol by Volume: 46%
Chillfiltered? No
Color added? No
The Spice Tree sample came from my own bottle, gifted to me by my lovely wife. The Oak Cross and Peat Monster samples were from two different OCSC events. Because I know Spice Tree pretty well and Peat Monster is much different than the other two this Taste Off was not done blindly.
THE TASTE OFF!
OAK CROSS
Its color is a yellow amber. The nose is big on flowers and fruit. There's lemon, banana bread, peach schnapps, fresh apricots, orange marmalade, and floral teas. There are also smaller notes of vanilla and pencil shavings. When it comes to the palate, the bad news is that the mouthfeel is thin and there's little development. Caramel and butter cookies balance with some bitter citrus and black pepper. Vanilla, notebook paper, and a soft citric sweetness lingers in the background. A little bit of spirity heat stays throughout. The finish gets sweeter, focuses on vanilla and caramel. Meanwhile some burnt oak and bitterness runs through the middle.
Comments: This one feels like it's lost something over the years. It has a very good nose but a flat palate. The finish does even less for me. I wish some of the nose's fruits showed up on the palate and that the finish did something. Maybe it needs the extra three points of ABV. Maybe it needs more age. Maybe it needs more Clynelish. Not a bad whisky, but it no longer can keep up with...
SPICE TREE
This one has the darkest color, a medium gold. LOTS of spice (obvs) in the nose, much of it is probably from the French oak, but it's sometimes reminiscent of American rye whiskey. Other major notes: Spice cake, butterscotch candy, cocoa, fresh tobacco, and tapioca pudding. With some breathing time, the whisky develops notes of salty beach air and lychee candy (Kasugai). That spice cake shows up in the palate as well with notes of cloves, nutmeg, and (non-cassia) cinnamon. There are limes and oranges, fruity shisha, dried apricots, toffee pudding, and a little bit of soil. It finishes with rich vanilla ice cream topped with caramel sauce. Oh, and butterscotch and toffee. Cloves in the back along with a hint of cantaloupe.
Comments: I love this stuff. My wife, who prefers American whiskey over Scotch, likes Spice Tree as well. At times it seems to be the Scottish cousin of straight rye whiskey. In any case, it's the one regular Compass Box whisky that consistently nails the nose, palate, and finish. And man, does it stick the finish.
THE PEAT MONSTER
Very very pale in color, which is always appreciated here. A surprising amount of oak spice on the nose in this one. Perhaps there were some active US oak barrels in the mix? The peat registers at a low rumble, kind of like a sugary Laphroaig. There's some burnt beef and a hint of manure. Caramel and whole wheat toast. After 20ish minutes in the glass it finds a rotting beachside seaweed note and some dried herbs. The palate is REALLY vegetal in its first few moments. Then horseradish and cigarettes. Cinnamon candy. Somehow rooty, sweet, and tangy at the same time. A peppery tingle throughout. After those 20ish minutes in the glass, the whisky starts to get mossier and bitterer. The decent length finish has a lot of salt and beach notes. Some sage, moss, burnt bark, and black pepper. It gets sweeter and sweeter with time.
Comments: Ye olde peat cow seems to get bolder every time I try it. It's no longer as politely peaty as it use to be. There's an edge to it now, something appreciated by some more than others. Maybe there's more Ledaig in the mix. Or maybe they're using younger whisky. There's some young(?) sugariness to it that doesn't really dance so well with the other parts, keeping it from fully congealing.
FINAL THOUGHTS
These were all better than yesterday's blends, thank goodness, and at least two of them sorta earn their price. I keep getting the feeling that the Oak Cross and Peat Monster (and Asyla) are using younger ingredients than they used to. Perhaps that was inevitable, as Compass Box's popularity might eventually put a squeeze on their own stocks. It doesn't hurt Peat Monster too much, but Oak Cross feels like it's fallen a step over the past couple of years. It has gotten thin and plain, as if it has been filtered or bottled at 40% ABV. Meanwhile, Spice Tree remains one of the best blended malts on the market, and it's a Scotch I feel confident in recommending to rye and high-rye-bourbon fans. It has also held its price -- never moving more than $5 in its national average -- over the past five years, something I certainly treasure.
COMPASS BOX OAK CROSS
Availability - Most specialty liquor retailers
Pricing - $40 to $60
Rating - 82
COMPASS BOX SPICE TREE
Availability - Most specialty liquor retailers
Pricing - $55 to $75
Rating - 89
COMPASS BOX THE PEAT MONSTER
Availability - Most specialty liquor retailers
Pricing - $45 to $70
Rating - 85
Chillfiltered? No
Color added? No
The Spice Tree sample came from my own bottle, gifted to me by my lovely wife. The Oak Cross and Peat Monster samples were from two different OCSC events. Because I know Spice Tree pretty well and Peat Monster is much different than the other two this Taste Off was not done blindly.
THE TASTE OFF!
OAK CROSS
Its color is a yellow amber. The nose is big on flowers and fruit. There's lemon, banana bread, peach schnapps, fresh apricots, orange marmalade, and floral teas. There are also smaller notes of vanilla and pencil shavings. When it comes to the palate, the bad news is that the mouthfeel is thin and there's little development. Caramel and butter cookies balance with some bitter citrus and black pepper. Vanilla, notebook paper, and a soft citric sweetness lingers in the background. A little bit of spirity heat stays throughout. The finish gets sweeter, focuses on vanilla and caramel. Meanwhile some burnt oak and bitterness runs through the middle.
Comments: This one feels like it's lost something over the years. It has a very good nose but a flat palate. The finish does even less for me. I wish some of the nose's fruits showed up on the palate and that the finish did something. Maybe it needs the extra three points of ABV. Maybe it needs more age. Maybe it needs more Clynelish. Not a bad whisky, but it no longer can keep up with...
SPICE TREE
This one has the darkest color, a medium gold. LOTS of spice (obvs) in the nose, much of it is probably from the French oak, but it's sometimes reminiscent of American rye whiskey. Other major notes: Spice cake, butterscotch candy, cocoa, fresh tobacco, and tapioca pudding. With some breathing time, the whisky develops notes of salty beach air and lychee candy (Kasugai). That spice cake shows up in the palate as well with notes of cloves, nutmeg, and (non-cassia) cinnamon. There are limes and oranges, fruity shisha, dried apricots, toffee pudding, and a little bit of soil. It finishes with rich vanilla ice cream topped with caramel sauce. Oh, and butterscotch and toffee. Cloves in the back along with a hint of cantaloupe.
Comments: I love this stuff. My wife, who prefers American whiskey over Scotch, likes Spice Tree as well. At times it seems to be the Scottish cousin of straight rye whiskey. In any case, it's the one regular Compass Box whisky that consistently nails the nose, palate, and finish. And man, does it stick the finish.
THE PEAT MONSTER
Very very pale in color, which is always appreciated here. A surprising amount of oak spice on the nose in this one. Perhaps there were some active US oak barrels in the mix? The peat registers at a low rumble, kind of like a sugary Laphroaig. There's some burnt beef and a hint of manure. Caramel and whole wheat toast. After 20ish minutes in the glass it finds a rotting beachside seaweed note and some dried herbs. The palate is REALLY vegetal in its first few moments. Then horseradish and cigarettes. Cinnamon candy. Somehow rooty, sweet, and tangy at the same time. A peppery tingle throughout. After those 20ish minutes in the glass, the whisky starts to get mossier and bitterer. The decent length finish has a lot of salt and beach notes. Some sage, moss, burnt bark, and black pepper. It gets sweeter and sweeter with time.
Comments: Ye olde peat cow seems to get bolder every time I try it. It's no longer as politely peaty as it use to be. There's an edge to it now, something appreciated by some more than others. Maybe there's more Ledaig in the mix. Or maybe they're using younger whisky. There's some young(?) sugariness to it that doesn't really dance so well with the other parts, keeping it from fully congealing.
FINAL THOUGHTS
These were all better than yesterday's blends, thank goodness, and at least two of them sorta earn their price. I keep getting the feeling that the Oak Cross and Peat Monster (and Asyla) are using younger ingredients than they used to. Perhaps that was inevitable, as Compass Box's popularity might eventually put a squeeze on their own stocks. It doesn't hurt Peat Monster too much, but Oak Cross feels like it's fallen a step over the past couple of years. It has gotten thin and plain, as if it has been filtered or bottled at 40% ABV. Meanwhile, Spice Tree remains one of the best blended malts on the market, and it's a Scotch I feel confident in recommending to rye and high-rye-bourbon fans. It has also held its price -- never moving more than $5 in its national average -- over the past five years, something I certainly treasure.
COMPASS BOX OAK CROSS
Availability - Most specialty liquor retailers
Pricing - $40 to $60
Rating - 82
COMPASS BOX SPICE TREE
Availability - Most specialty liquor retailers
Pricing - $55 to $75
Rating - 89
COMPASS BOX THE PEAT MONSTER
Availability - Most specialty liquor retailers
Pricing - $45 to $70
Rating - 85
