The Compass Box No Name, no. 2

Tasting notes:
On the nose, it’s all high register phenols oozing out of green apples and key limes grown especially for macarons served to castrati. It’s rich and citrusy…nope, that note just got run over by a brand new, freshly oiled tractor tire. Ah well.

The mouth is silky smooth and somewhere between delicate and Mrs. Robinson’s raspy voice and arched leg. Then comes more tire rubber–or is it fresh, artisanal tar?–yes, it’s that sort of peat. And it’s on a pedestal, with not one shred of clothing on, either, because nothing else should be allowed to get in the way of showing the world what this really is. And it’s magnificent.

The finish hints at mint and maybe the kind of anise one uses to make sure tires come out black. The spice that lingers there is really more like a sweet, soulful kiss–or really, the memory, a day and a half later, of such a kiss. Around the edges of your consciousness of your palate (that’s different from your palate itself), there are some ridiculously rich dried red fruits dancing along for a while. Then it’s all clean tar technology and Craisin® rubber residue. This one is singular through and through.

 
 

Rating:
On the scale of things I could readily identify blindfolded with my hands tied behind my back–

The Compass Box No Name, no. 2 is Caol Ila–Exactly 75.5% of this limited edition blended malt Scotch whisky is from that beautiful Islay distillery, but this dram plays more like it’s a full 87%.

   

   

                                                                      –Stephen

   

   

–Our thanks to Compass Box for the sample!