Tasting Notes

Producing WhiskyCast has given me the opportunity to taste some really amazing whiskies, and I’m pleased to share my tasting notes with you here. You can search my entire database of tasting notes from this page, and I hope you’ll find it useful.

Compass Box Rivals

Country: Scotland

Region:

Type: Blended Malt

Bottler: Compass Box Whisky Company

ABV: 46%

Score: 92 Points

Compass Box Rivals. Image courtesy Julio's Liquors. You may have a hard time finding this Compass Box whisky, since it was bottled primarily for Julio’s Liquors near Boston (which supplied our sample) and Astor Wines & Spirits in New York City (but turned up at a handful of other retailers as well). The name comes from the natural rivalry between Boston and New York, and the whisky comes from a blend of Macallan, Teaninich, the now-closed Imperial distillery, and some of the French Oak-finished Highland malt blend that was featured in Compass Box’s Flaming Heart.

The nose has notes of red apples, vanilla cream, dried flowers, lemon custard, a hint of butterscotch, and allspice. The taste has good spices with allspice, cinnamon, and coriander balanced by red apples, vanilla, and hints of dried flowers and lemon custard that appear as the spices start to fade leading into the finish – which is very long with lingering spices, dried flowers, lemon custard, and vanilla notes. Very complex and well-balanced. (June, 2017)