This is not a luxury whisky

When the following announcement came in from Compass Box it made me very curious about it and because so far they have not disappointed...

This autumn will see Compass Box reach an important milestone – fifteen years since our first-ever bottling! To celebrate the occasion we’re releasing a very special Limited Edition Scotch…‘This is not a luxury Whisky’.

This limited edition release is bottled in August 2015, total of 4992 bottles worldwide at 53,1% produced. It is made up from 79% - 19 YO - Glen Ord,  10,1% - 40 YO grain - Strathclyde,  6,9% - 40 YO grain - Girvan and 4% - 30 YO - Caol Ila. What is the vision of Compass Box behind this expression?

The inspiration for this limited release is René Magritte’s 1929 work “Ceci n’est pas une pipe”, a Surrealist painting which challenges peoples’ perceptions of reality. The reality is, these days we hear more and more commentators talking about ‘luxury’ whiskies, which are presumably whiskies that are either rare or expensive, or, possibly, both. On one level, similar to the role Magritte’s painting played in the art world, this release is about getting people to consider for themselves what a ‘luxury’ whisky is. On another level, a level we consider much more important, this limited release is about the liquid. This is about the whisky in the bottle, which we have painstakingly sourced and blended, and the engagement and enjoyment and pleasure this whisky will bring when shared with others. This latter point is what we believe a ‘luxury’ whisky is. And at Compass Box, this is what we believe whisky, generally speaking, is all about. Recommendations: This particular luxury has been designed to be consumed, not preserved on a shelf. Use it to celebrate life’s little victories – a new job, a chance meeting with a friend, the conclusion of an enjoyable dinner. Above all else, share and enjoy

On the nose is some mixture of orange and beeswax coming forward. Cherries, vanilla, red apple and light creamy. Bit of heather and earthy notes with dry herbal notes in the back. From the palate there is first a mouth full of spices, chili pepper, demerara sugar sweetness, rich honey, dry coconut and warm figs. The notes from the nose come back lovely and it feels quite balanced. On the medium length finish I get the beeswax again and hints of cocoa, leather and prunes. It is a lovely whisky and scoring it an 7,5 out of 10. Thanks for sharing it and congrats on the 15th anniversary!