Compass Box No Name No. 2

Well it seems like awhile since I have reviewed a Compass Box bottle so let's rectify that situation. Came across this limited run sitting on a dusty shelf and it just followed me home... Nose is soft smoke on this. Not enough to choke you out, but a pleasant touch that is not overpowering. There is also a slight underlying sweetness on this one that makes it quite nice. First sip is layered in smoke and fruit. CB blenders do an amazing job of just touching the edge of smokiness that manages to stay in the tolerance zone of us Speyside fans. There are some light honey notes on the edges and an almost caramel apple taste down the middle. The finish is a smokey hug with just a slight burn. Overall this one is nice. The price of admission is a bit high as is always the case with the Compass Box limited offerings. If you are a fan of fruit with a touch of smoke this is a great option. It is also a nice gateway to peat heavy drams. I personally don't see my self ever going fully to the dark side, but it can be fun to visit!

How do you follow up a popular but not superlative whisky? Why of course by changing every single thing about it! Too lazy to look up the ages for this review, but as memory serves this is a much younger and perhaps "cheaper" follow up in terms of quality, a recurring theme with compass box. Still, it sounds tasty and they upped the use of sherry casks. Nose - Soft peaty notes, cream, butter, and a bit of fruity notes. I get just a golden malty goodness with light peat and some waxy fruits. I'm getting excited to taste this. Taste - There's not much here. I can get the light sherry. There's a citrus and oaky bitter note. Then some nice all but it muted peat. There's just not a lot here. I knew to expect a very light peated version, but I'm not getting much. There's a lot of pepper that's starting to come through, reminding me of the talisker in it. Overall this isn't a terrible whisky but I don't think this is a winner. 1.5. 2.0 being average and frankly this is below average.

This was one of more than two dozen whiskies I sampled at the Whisky Show, so don’t expect nuanced notes or a meaningful rating. What I can say is that it is very different from its Ardbeg-led predecessor and perhaps as delicious. I got two distinct pulses of flavor - a blast of peat followed by a wave of richer sherry notes. It’s an unusual two-step structure that suggests this is a sequel akin more to Godfather II than Jaws: The Revenge. I eagerly await an opportunity for a more considered tasting.

Spend a few minutes on the nose. Silky layers of balanced vanilla, smoke, fruit, and malt. So lovely and complex. Sip and the middle opens to even more floral layers of fruit and subtle cake frosting so balanced with smoke and salt. What is this magic? It pulls you in for more. The mouthfeel is pleasantly oily, sliding into a long, not too over bearing, peaty melt. My favorite of 33 tastes at Tampa Bay's 'Whiskey Tampa Foxtrot'.

Aroma is dry, minerally, chalky banana chips at first, but quickly opens to honied fruits, smoke and fresh pastries showing a lovely malty profile underpinning it all; Palate hits with honey and smoke with a malt kicker followed by sweeter dessert and fruit notes with a coastal profile weaving through; Finish takes a turn for the sweet with fruit and candy notes fading out into the smoke.

Nose: smoky meat, hammy, earthy and dirty, slightly saline, light floral Body: very salty, saltwater in the nose, nasal, smooth and then a visceral crescendo Palate: ash, beach firewood, charred drift wood, lingering smoke, EXTREMELY well-balanced, like blowing candles out Finish: extremely salty, smoky