We use cookies and website technologies to customize information and improve your shopping experience all around whisky. We use technically necessary cookies to ensure the general functionality and features of our website. With your consent we also use cookies and iframes of third party providers to present our social media content to you and make use of functional tracking and analysis tools to identify errors and continually improve your user experience.
Dear Horst: I can't find any signs that you have done video reviews of any Compass Box blended malts! I'm surprised, since they have such an interesting and controversial back story. Besides which they are on the cutting edge of the whole "transparency" trend that is building in the Scotch industry.
I would especially appreciate it if you would review Spice Tree. It's one of their core bottlings and it seems very much your sort of thing. It has a genuinely non-oaky array of spices on the nose (including your favorite cinnamon), sherry notes, a very smooth slightly oily mouthfeel, with the spice and caramel sustained on the palate and the mid to long finish 46% abv, uncolored, non-chill-filtered.
Even the bottle is pleaing...tall, tapered with a long neck and a thick heavy bottom. It is currently one of my favorite drams despite my general preference for Islay malts.
Please do a video review of Spice Tree for us..
@Gaefax
I agree. I just bought a sample pack of compass box (their whole signature series, from asyla to hedonism) two days ago, and I thought the exact same thing!
unless you have a hard time getting it where you are at, a one week Compass box series would be great: Asyla, Oak Cross, Spice Tree, Hedonism, and Peat Monster.
@Gaefax
They are interesting, although the only bottle I have had (Enlightenment) were expensive and not as good as I thought it would be.
I've had quite a few bottlings, I find my favorite is the limited Flaming Heart. John Glaser was even nice enough to answer my email, perhaps they were rude to Horst lol
@kroman The offerings here are pretty limited (and that also means no limited bottlings). I was rather disappointed by the Oak Cross, but I read someone who said it needed to rest and open up, which I haven't done yet. I can get Asyla, but I'm skeptical of a grain blend. I can also get Peat Monster, but I'm not one to pursue peat for its own sake. I've crashed on those rocks a couple of times.
I do think that the Spice Tree is an excellent dram and a bargain at the price.
Perhaps, as someone suggested, there is some contretemps between Horst and Compass Box! Otherwise I can't understand the gap in his comprehensive vlog. Compass Box is generally very well rated and has a lot of fans!
@Gaefax
Difficult answer. I had some tasting ten years ago. And already then the price was quite steep for the content. But - you are right - the philosophy is different to other bottlers.
@horst_s Thank you for your response! Indeed, the prices for their numerous limited editions are pricey and they are hard to ger hold of. But those always available (Asyla, Peat Monster, Orangerie, Oak Cross and Spice Tree) are not all that expensive!