Compass Box The Lost Blend

So it seems I was able to find a lost blend from way back in 2014 in Louisville Kentucky in a store that looked as if they'd never even bothered to add anything of value in scotch. I to be honest though perhaps I'd forgotten about a re-release but it seems not. nose - First impression is just straight up light clean sweet smoke. Now I'm getting a bit of apple, and a bit of a cider perhaps some brown sugar or hints of cinnamon. There's a pastry note. Touch of wax that is clearly there but if you'd not told me clyenlish I'd have not called it that. It's funny now that I've gotten used to the nose the smoke is completely gone. Taste - I wish I had the money to have bought every bottle of this. How to explain this one. There's a battle between fruity notes, fruit spices, some smoke, some earthy note, a bit of a waxy oily grassy note, then more spices and more fruits. There is a dance of sweet and peat going on here that I could watch forever. I want to say oily honey, touch of apple's covered in cream, light smoke like you'd get on a pizza crust that's golden but not darkened from a wood oven and then a bit of campfire but it's off about 200 feet away and it isn't blowing toward you. it's nice and aromatic vs in your face. There are spices from oak that just add a nice touch. Really want to know the age of what's in here. A part of me feels this might be younger than 18 for all but perhaps that last small amount and that might normally bother me on a 120 dollar bottle but not here. I think the lost blend tells the story of how compass box no longer can get the same quality whisky due to the whisky boom and this is sadly a reminder of what I used to love about the brand. Don't get me wrong they still make great stuff, but prices are soaring and quality isn't. This is a sweet spot! I can't believe I'm doing it but 4 stars. I've spent my whisky budget for the rest of the year and then some I think, but I might have to think about another bottle.

I decided to review my 2oz sample of The Lost Blend that I got from my friend Lee tonight to honor all that we have lost; family, friends, icons. Last week my wife lost her maternal grandmother and Detroit lost a great king of a man in Mike Ilitch, owner of the Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Tigers, founder of Little Caesar's Pizza, believer of and investor in the city of Detroit and contributor to countless charities. This blended malt whisky comes in at 46% ABV, is non chill filtered and a natural color of what I would call champagne gold. The nose is simply divine. Floral peat smoke up front that turns to tarry/creosote ashes (I'm not sure what malts are being used but if I had to guess Laphroaig would be a key component). Light oak and vanilla creep in but are subtle. Red fruits and stone fruits like plums or apricots. A pineapple like citrus note and a very distinct candle wax. Complex and powerful with a great balance of peat and fruit. The palate is a bit more perplexing. Lightly spicy up front. Bonfire smoke. Pepper, cinnamon and other wood spices. It turns into light oranges and orchard fruits and a general deliciousness. It was difficult for me to pin down a few of the notes but this is a very tasty blended malt indeed. The mouthfeel is fairly light but has some oiliness to it. Very mouthwatering. The finish is medium long with peat smoke, fruits and some oak spices, a bit dry at the end. To me this is like a mixture of Peat Monster and Spice Tree with a splash of Hedonism. It's too bad this is a limited edition as it's exceptionally well crafted. Granted this is my first non core range CBW but it is my favorite so far, sorry Hedonism but you needed a hint of smoke to remain on top. Even though this is a NAS I can tell it has some age to it, but enough youth to boost its intensity. 4.5. Cheers everyone.

Back in 2001 when Compass Box founder John Glaser abandoned Johnnie Walker to create his own blends, he started his journey with a blended malt called "Eleuthera". Two years later, one of the components was lost forever. John Glaser, in 2004 after reading an O'Henry tale called "The Lost Blend", (where two bartenders created a supernatural blend with special powers); he decided to create a blend that mimics that first Eleuthera, and he called it "The Lost Blend". He even designed 3 different labels and a very interesting box, which is full of pictures of "lost" objects, some lost in time, other extinct. This Blended Malt, is made with Clynelish, Alt-a-Bhainne and Caol Ila. Bottled at 46%abv., pale straw color. On the nose, fairly peaty. Very maritime, salt, sea. Chocolate with salt, lemon. After a first sip, the aroma changed into a pond, rainforest profile. Recently cut wet grass, permanent marker. A metallic one cent coin. On the palate, a good mixture between sweetness and peaty flavors. Chocolate, pepper, sulphuric and metallic. Wet grass, vanilla. Aaftertaste is balanced. Salty, sulphuric, metallic. Ginger and hay. Cigarrette, ashy. Overall, this expression mantains my love/hate relationship with Compass Box. I really think that Caol Ila overpowered the other malts, this could be a single malt from that Islay distillery and nothing else. I feel the blending failed a little here, and it didn't surprise me at all. Other people in my tasting event loved it, but this really didn't do much for me. Not bad at all, just not my favorite. My score for it is 84 over 100.

Nose - sweet peat, smoked meat, pear, baked apple, apricot, cinnamon, honey, toffee, creamy vanilla, coconut, waxy lemon, sweet floral notes, cocoa, fig, orange zest, hay, light oak, black pepper, strawberry, mint, oat, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - smoked meat, sweet peat, orange zest, ginger, chili pepper, cinnamon, black pepper, waxy lemon, milk chocolate, apple, pear, honey, toffee, mint, coconut, creamy vanilla, oat, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium long with meaty peat, citrus zest, toffee, and pepper flavors. The nose is a beautiful combination of sweet smoke and creamy, fruity toffee. Everything is very well integrated with a rich, not grainy, maltiness. The palate is similar, but the arrival hits with a flash of deep, smoky citrus and tingly pepper before mellowing with a creamy, oats and honey vibe. The finish fades slowly with the dominant flavors lingering pleasantly for at least a minute. Now this is a good blend. It’s easy to tell there’s some age on the components. I can’t say whether it’s better than the sum of its parts, but the characteristic smoky, meaty Caol Ila and fruity, waxy Clynelish both shine through nicely. Unfortunately, this lives up to its name and the prices have transcended into secondary market insanity. I would absolutely buy this at the original $125 retail price. Definitely not at today’s prices. Another big thank you to @jonwilkinson7309 for providing the sample. This one is really nicely done.

Bottle killed on 5/22/19. Compass Box The Lost Blend Blended Malt NAS 46% ABV Bottled 8/20/2014 Limited to 12,018 bottles Purchase price: 113 USD This is a blend of three single malts (Clynelish, Caol Ila, and Altt-A-Bhainne) each matured exclusively in bourbon casks. The background story is that the fortuitous discovery of some 18 year old Altt-A-Bhainne that was “extraordinary examples of near-perfection in maturation” allowed them to create this Lost Blend. Nice bullshit. A perfectly matured Altt-A-Bhainne would probably still taste bad. It is not a good distillery. I sometimes get metallic and straw notes in this whisky that prevent this from being a perfect blend. Could it be that Altt-A-Bhainne floating around in there? On its good days, this is a sublime peaty take on a solid and typical Clynelish. A nice mix of orchard fruits and cereals. Waxy and spicy on the palatte. A beautiful soft, savory, and soulful peat on the finish. When I first opened this bottle, it was the perfectly balanced nose that blew me away, but then I started noticing the metallic and straw notes. As I finished this bottle, I definitely latched on to the finish more. I do love Compass Box. But I don’t need to have a backup bottle of The Lost Blend. If I find this on sale at less than $100, I might pull the trigger. Rating (price not factored): 90 / 100 Purchase satisfaction (price factored): 3.75 / 5

Tonight's tasting party was filled with lots of whisk(e)y I have already tasted (not complaining), but I need something new to "put me to bed, proper." A perfect time for a Compass Box offering. The Lost Blend. This blend comes in at 92 proof and a hefty $100+ price tag. According to the bottle there were only 12018 bottles filled so subtract 1 and join me by praying for a sequel. So, let's do this: this bad boy is almost transparent in the glass. Lighter than light. Talk about not showing your hand before the river card. Cue up ZZ Top's "Legs" video BEFORE you give this one a swirl. Legs. For. Days. On the nose, well, where do I start? Candle wax times 2, citrus zest and fresh, vibrant oak barrel, and muddled mint. If you take a deep breath- it burns so good. On the tongue it explodes with a wonderful sweet honey and orchard fruit blast that, while dry, melds into a heavy barrel finish. Peppery oak and vanilla on the tail end mark one of the most fulfilling and balanced finishes I've ever had in any scotch (blended or single malt). Compass Box does it again. Whenever I doubt the authenticity of blended scotches all I need to do is reach for these guys. If you see a Compass Box on the shelf near you- grab it, ignore the price tag and buy it. John Glaser knows his stuff. You will not be disappointed. Buy with confidence. Cheers, and goodnight, my friends.