Archives for 2015

Lagavulin / 12 Year Old / 2015 Release

Summary: Country/Region: Scotland/Islay.
ABV: 56.8%
Distilled: 2003
Bottled: 2015
Unit: 70cl
An expressive, energetic and self-assured Lagavulin with a straightforward aroma and a direct, full-on Islay flavour: classic, pleasantly relaxed and cleanly structured with a fine balance of cereal sweetness, appetising sharpness and dry, volcanic smoke, all adroitly set off by citrus and mint.
Appearance: Light gold. Moderate beading. Light body.
Nose: At first fresh cleaned, with soft malt, then rapidly developing maritime scents of sweet seaweed alongside a sharper, fruitier note, with grainy cereals. Quite starchy, like boiled basmati rice, then later vanilla-sweet, like a sponge cake dusted with icing sugar. With time, the aromas open up, releasing spent match and a little menthol balanced by sugary fruits, lemon zest, and gradually some distant smoke. Soft, fruity and minty with water: the sweetness now is of barley sugar and there’s fresh-baked sourdough or damp wool beneath the background smokiness.
Body: Light.
Palate: A smooth, oily mouthfeel; surprisingly sweet, with coating liquorice and a rising, smoky pungency, before the dryness of rich chocolate arrives with balancing salt and smoke. Water amplifies all these flavours, delivering more sweetness, saltiness, smoke and ash; dusty notes mingle with sulphury smoke and clean, pine-fresh menthol and eucalyptus, while the tongue finds the tannins well formed.
Finish: Easy-going, sweet and powerfully smoky. First there are those smoothly coating tannins. Then, salt and smoke; spent matches, clean slabs and charred embers; and a little orange oil. It’s sweetly appetising, warming and intensely smoky with water; clean, with cool smoke and wood ash.

Compass Box / This Is Not A Luxury Whisky

Summary: Country/Region: Scotland.
ABV: 53.1%
Unit: 70cl
This is not a luxury whisky. Or is it?
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 they believe whisky, generally speaking, is all about.
Availability: Limited Edition release of 4,992 bottles.
Bottled: August 2015.
Flavour Descriptors: Complex, rich, lightly smoky and opulent. Sultanas, sweet sherry and concentrated floral notes combine with deep demerara sweetness, cacao and lighter creamy coconut character. An inviting nose, fat and full-bodied on the palate with a long, lingering sweetsmoke finish.
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.
Ratings: 92 Points / Whisky Israel.