Alright, after a week of reviews of agave spirits (two mezcals and a raicilla) that no one reading the blog seemed to be interested in, let’s go back to Scotch whisky. Here’s another week of reviews of releases from Compass Box. First up, is one from 2018 that they called Stranger & Stranger. The name is apparently that of the design company they work(ed) with and the whisky was composed to commemorate the relationship. This is a blend of malt whisky with a tiny bit of 1 yo spirit from Girvan (apparently 1% of the whole). The explanation for the odd choice to blend a tiny bit of 1 yo spirit with a lot of malt whisky in a very expensive release (close to $200 in the US) is that Stranger & Stranger’s work is also category-defying. Of course, it also makes for a story of sorts and what is a Compass Box whisky without a story? The malt components are from Glenlossie (recharred hogshead, 80% of the whole), Glen Elgin (recharred barrel, 14% of the whole), and Linkwood (sherry butt, 5% of the whole). Okay, let’s see what it’s like).
Compass Box, Stranger & Stranger (46%; from a bottle split)
Nose: Baking spices, baked apples, toasted oak, a bit of vanilla. As it sits there’s some citrus (orange peel) and the oak moves in the direction of incense. Continues in this general vein. A few drops of water push the oak back and bring out more of the baked apple (and some pastry crust to go with it).
Palate: Comes in pretty much as indicated by the nose but with some added sweetness. More bite than you might expect at 46%; good texture. Spicier on subsequent sips even as the citrus expands. Not much change as it sits. Let’s see what water does for it. It pushes the oak back here as well and expands the citrus (brighter now with lemon zest).
Finish: Medium-long. The spice expands here and dominates. As on the palate with water with some pepper added.
Comments: This is a very drinkable “whisky”—especially with water added—though I’d not be happy to have paid $180 for it whether the identity and age of every component were on the label or not. It presents a good balance of oak and fruit but it doesn’t add up to anything very distinctive.
Rating: 84 points.
I’ve had similarly disappointing experiences of late with Compass Box; while I really enjoyed — devoured, even — their Spice Tree Extravaganza, I’ve had big misses with them in the last couple of years in the form of their Experimental Grain Whisky and a cask strength Peat Monster. I’m significantly more leery of just buying bottles of their products if I haven’t had some at this point, which is unfortunate.