Compass Box week ends with another commemorative whisky. I say “another” because both of this week’s other Compass Box reviews were also of commemorative whiskies. Stranger & Stranger (which I thought was nothing very special) was released to celebrate their relationship with the eponymous design company, and Spice Tree Extravaganza (which I liked a lot more) was released to mark an event in company history. Well, this one was released to mark the 25th anniversary of the Chicago whisky bar, Delilah’s. This was released five years after Compass Box’s first release for Delilah’s in 2013 (on the bar’s 20th anniversary). A chunk of the 25th anniversay vatting incorporates a parcel of that earlier release (29%), which had been aged further in a refill hogshead. The rest of the vatting comprises grain whisky from Cameronbridge (10.5%), and malt whisky from Miltonduff (10.5%), Teaninich (20%), an unnamed distillery near Aberlour (15%) and Linkwood (15%). The Cameronbridge and Miltonduff came out of first-fill American oak barrels and the rest from first-fill sherry butts. I’m not sure what it cost on release but I’d be surprised if it was cheap. Well, let’s see what it all added up to flavour-wise.

Compass Box, Delilah’s XXV (46%; from a sample split)

Nose: A mix of raisiny sherry and orchard fruit (apples, pears); grainy bitterness behind (or is that apple peel?). On the second sniff there’s orange peel and apricot. Not much change with time. With a few drops of water the bitter notes get pushed back as some cream and some milky cocoa emerges along with some red fruit (cherry).

Palate: Comes in sweet with a frame of mildly bitter oak. A good drinking strength; decent texture. Continues with this mix of sweet fruit and bitter oak. With time there’s more of the citrus and also a slightly metallic quality to the bitter notes, which I suspect is the grain component speaking. Spicier here with water and the metallic note expands (though it also becomes less bitter).

Finish: Long. Gets spicier here (cinnamon, clove) as the sweet fruit fades quickly. With time there’s some vanilla. As on the palate with water at first but then there’s a cloying sweetness (simple syrup).

Comments: Neat, this is a very good daily drinker with a nice balance between fruit and oak. I didn’t like it quite as much with water. Very well composed, as are most of Compass Box’s whiskies.

Rating: 85 points.