.compass box - the circus

Compass Box is well known for their bold statements, age statement (the lack thereof) and experimentation with casks, whisky types, out-of-the box maturation and blending, and... the list never stops. The Circus - their latest limited release, perfectly fits in many of these categories, "taking us outside of ourselves - like the best circuses do".

"If you're looking for rainbows, look up to the sky."

- Charlie Chaplin, The Circus, 1928

49% abv, €220
blend, non-chill filtered, natural colour

Nose: sweet, heavy sherried nose, dried fruits, raisins, dates, apricots - the works, gingerbread, exotic fruit, pineapples, mangos, spicy, black pepper, citrus, fermenting blood oranges, liquorice

Palate: sweet, gingerbread, spicy, black peppercorns - freshly ground, dried fruits, dates, apricots

Finish: warm, long, fruity, dried mangos, gingerbread, liquorice root
Mark: ++++/+

Conclusion: Damn, this is a fine dram indeed. Special. Overly Sherried, but not so at the same time, juggling nose and palate around the place. A blend like more should be, and like older blends most likely will have been. Full bodied, built on flavour, packed with character. I am sure I could get more notes, but I have decided to enjoy the other half of my half, rather than over-analysing it.

More info: a limited release of only 2490 bottles from March 2016. Composed from a complex and mysteriously matured stock, where most of the "extraordinarily long" maturation has taken place in the marrying casks, "contributing to the rich Sherry character". - quoting where necessary.

Blended Scotch 1 - long-term married in refill Sherry butt - 57.2%
Blended Grain - long-term married in refill Sherry butt - 26%
Benrinnes - matured in first fill Sherry butt - 15.4%
Blended Scotch 2 - long-term married in refill Sherry butt - 1.4%

Playing by the rules, no ages are given of any of the whiskies that are used...

.many thanks to Compass Box for sending us a sample of their latest release, making it - once more - very difficult to keep control of our whisky-budget...