Compass Box Enlightenment

Thanks to /u/WDMC-905 for this sample.

We’ve all been there. That moment where you’re plugging along, trying to change life, trying to be better, and… you end up tired, in the middle of things, and dragging your ass along. You go back to trying to do those things that make you happy… However due to being tired, you’re unable to even write.

Thus this may not be my best writing, as I’m pretty tired and trying to get exams done.

It’s at times like this, you end up searching for a higher calling. A raison d’etre, or rather you’re looking for Enlightenment.

Thank goodness I had a sample on hand of Compass Box Enlightenment.

See what I did there? Told you it wasn’t my best writing, just stick around.

Compass Box Enlightenment is named after the Age of Enlightenment, the time when writing, philosophy, and science came back into being. And while there’s some people who now are denouncing that kind of thinking, there are places where growth in information would be beneficial.

In this case, it’s Compass Box stating that area is the Scotch industry, allowing them to spread more information about the age of whiskies that go into their blends.

This blended malt scotch whisky is made up of 4 different barrels: One first fill American standard barrel from Clynelish (48.2%), one first fill American standard barrel from Glentauchers (36.7%), one first fill American standard barrel from Balblair (10.8%), and one rejuvenated American standard barrel from Mortlach (4.3%).

All Highlands, though we’re not allowed to know the age on each one.

They’ve made their point with the name. However how’s the whisky behind the point?

Price: N/A at the LCBO

Region: Blend

Total Bottles: 5,922

Bottled: 2016

Abv: 46%

Colour: 10Y 8/6

Nose: Pear, green apple, basil, cereal, cantaloupe, grassy, candy

Not surprisingly there’s a lot of grass and fruit on the nose. It’s made up of Highland, so it has that profile.

Nice amount of notes on the nose. Interesting to start.

Taste: Cumin, caramel, pear, funky banana, lemon

Little bit more earth on the taste, especially given the fruit heavy elements.

Quite fruity. I enjoy the banana notes, however it’s not doing too much beyond that, with some earth.

Finish: Butter, vanilla, floral, ginger, earth, mushroom (lots of mushroom), cashew

Starts of nice, with some butter and vanilla notes that I enjoy from ex-bourbon casks, however it starts going really, really earthy.

Eventually mushroom is all I can taste on the finish, and I’m not loving it.

Conclusion: An interesting dram. Honestly it tastes like a different version of Catto’s with some add ins from outside sources and no grain whisky with Clynelish instead. I don’t know the ages, however I can see how it would work.

That said, I don’t think it worked in all aspects. The nose is quite nice and exemplifies Highland well. The taste has a little bit of an earth issue, but they coached out an interesting note. Finally the finish fails as it stands.

I’d recommend the next whisky from Compass Box has less marketing and more mixology, personally.

76/100

Scotch review #679, Blend review #70, Whisky Network review #1138