Compass Box The Story of the Spaniard

Served neat in a Glencairn glass. The color is a light to medium honeyed orange, with minimal viscosity in the glass. Yes! This is definitely sherried. And a blend! The nose is strongly musty, young, and quite sharp. A dominant pear note is present, but it's so sharp and zesty it feels discordant. Perhaps cherry cola. Some malt emerges, along with oats and hay. Muted notes of spring wildflowers are also detected. Okay... could this be the first time I've figured this out? After my first sip, the subsequent nosing lacked about 80% of that sharpness now that the spirit had been diluted. Is that initial sharpness just the body's warning against toxic ethanol, which then ceases its alarm once the ethanol has lost its battle (or is so overwhelmed internally that the warning is no longer perceived)? Yes, it's just gone. Alright, apologies everyone – I've instantly negated my previous tasting notes, but I'm keeping them to document my realization. I suppose I'm not typically this patient before taking my initial sip. Rich and waxy on the palate, yet still prickly and young. Honey. Golden raisins. Clove. Orange peel. Aspartame. A pinch of cinnamon. Softwood (evergreen) sawdust. A current of gentian and licorice is present. Some flavors recall a Springbank 10 profile, but in my opinion, that is a superior spirit in many respects. It certainly brings a splash of musty sherry. The finish quickly loses flavor but impressively retains that bracing saccharine zing (unless my palate is just weak today) and even rebuilds to flash across the tongue, numbing the tongue and cheeks and stimulating saliva with a hint of char and light cherry. This improves as some of the sharp edges soften and the palate adjusts. It's not a standout, but it's competitive. It's still challenging to choose this over sherry-forward single malts that are often available at similar prices, such as Glendronach 12, Glenfarclas 10-12, Springbank 10 (though that may be a thing of the past), Craigellachie 13, and others.

This was my initial experience with blends. After extensive reading about Compass Box, I decided to try this one when my local liquor store received it. Aroma: The first impression is reminiscent of those small cherry cola candies! There's even a slight fizziness. Sandalwood, along with various dark dried fruits and stone fruits, emerge. A subtle prune note is also present. Taste: Very pleasant! It possesses a wonderfully balanced sherry flavor. Dark fruits like blackberry syrup and cherry appear. It's sweetened more by honey than sugar or artificial sweeteners. This is followed by a light vanilla and baking spice note. Finish: Surprisingly long. The sandalwood note lingers, followed by a subtle hint of freshly tanned leather, like a brand-new leather jacket. The honey sweetness also persists. Overall, a delightful surprise for my first blend purchase. It's not as sweet as something like Glenmorangie LaSanta, nor as rich as Glenfarclas 15, but offers a nice, light balance of the two with a more pronounced Highland character. While I would likely still choose Glenfarclas 15 among the three, this offers excellent value given its price point.

This is the tenth and newest bottling from CB in my collection, and I've not encountered one that wasn't enjoyable. The aroma is packed with fruit, beginning with pear and sweet green grapes, then transforming into syrupy, sweet fruit cocktail, akin to pouring a canned fruit cup into the glass. With further investigation, malt can be perceived behind the jammy sweetness. The initial taste resembles a grain Irish whiskey with abundant fruit, but without any metallic notes. However, the mid-palate and finish echo a single malt Pot Still. The mouthfeel is rather smooth, featuring ample honey and vanilla cream. Allowing it to linger in the mouth reveals subtle damp, earthy vegetal notes, lightly touched by pepper and oak. It lacks sufficient viscosity or proof for effortless sipping; it disappears too fast. This is one of those pours that requires vigorous swirling to impress a seasoned professional. The finish is quite subtle and unremarkable, offering only faint cereal and char, and it's dry enough to prompt another sip to satisfy thirst. Overall, a decent whiskey, though somewhat straightforward. Not essential to acquire, but I have no regrets keeping it in my collection.

Nose: An intense sherry explosion, featuring every red fruit imaginable: strawberry, cherry, blackberry. Sweet red wine notes are present, with hints of caramel, vanilla, and a mineral undertone. That's about it for the nose. Palate: Similar to the nose, with all the red fruits. It leans heavily towards dessert wine. Good wood influence with decent spice, but it remains consistently sweet. There's a subtle creamy vanilla, toffee, and caramel in the background. The finish is unremarkable, offering more red fruit and a touch of heat from the wood. This whisky seems to aim for a singular goal: to be the most sherried on the market. Based on my experience, it achieves that. While it falls short in some areas and lacks significant complexity, it's still quite appealing, and I've enjoyed opening this bottle regularly since purchasing it. Sometimes a pleasant, easy-drinking, fruity dram is exactly what's needed. I would likely purchase this again, but it seems somewhat overpriced. The CB Artist's Blend offers fruitiness with less intensity and is a better value.

The aroma bursts from the glass with abundant fruit. Prunes and dried cherries contend for dominance in a honeyed pool. In the background, there's only a faint hint of musty leather. This aroma is the epitome of a sherry cask. The taste is oily and viscous, dominated by candied fruits similar to those in fruitcake. Beeswax and honey mingle with the fruit, but fruit is by far the most prominent taste throughout. An interesting shift occurs as the finish begins; the aforementioned beeswax from the taste imparts a slightly powdery mouthfeel and a bittersweet cacao flavor. Imagine powdered dark chocolate. Sweetness returns for the conclusion, accompanied by a spicy bite akin to candied ginger. The finish is brief and leaves your mouth feeling rather dry. Hmm... This is likely my least preferred Compass Box expression to date. That said, it's not bad. If you enjoy fruity whisky, you might appreciate this more than I did, but for me, it's a solid "average".

Honestly, it's tough to top Compass Box for blends across the board. They excel at crafting genuinely enjoyable spirits at various points and prices. This is no different. It presents a soft, sweet, sherry-fruit aroma. The palate is rich with fruit and malt, featuring light wood notes and a subtle hint of peat. The finish is pleasant and lasting, without any off flavors. While superior single malts exist in this category, some can be sharp and inconsistent. This offers smooth sailing, it's succulent and delightful. Consider this blend the JW Green equivalent for sherried whiskies... 87/100... I didn't take extensive notes, but it's undeniably good, highly sippable scotch. A fantastic gift option with its appealing artwork, offering an easy experience like cruising in an old Trans Am with T-tops on a summer evening.