Enlightenment, Compass Box, 5,922 bottles, 46% abv.

Compass box used to openly provide information on the contents of their blends in their Transparency Campaign. Nowadays you have to contact them to get that information due to some regulations in the Scotch whisky industry or EU rules, or both. According to online sources, Enlightenment is composed of 48.2% young Clynelish from first-fill American oak barrels, 36.7% middle-aged Glentauchers from first-fill American oak barrels, 10.8% middle-aged Balblair from first-fill American oak barrels, 4.3% middle-aged Mortlach from rejuvenated American oak barrels. CB named this bottling Enlightenment refering to the Age of Enlightenment in Euro history where society made improvements in thought based on reason as opposed to religious dogma ans tradition. Interestingly of the 5,922 bottles produced, Taiwan recieved 180 bottles.

Nose: a little sour, mostly limes, lemons, the more sour citrus, raw tea leaves (dragon well green tea, 龍井), minerals, a little floral and grassy.

Palate: good body, initial palate is brownies, light milk chocolate, bread, burnt vanilla. Light espresso on the mid palate. The burnt vanilla, light milk chocolate carries into the back palate, along with grass, dry earth which stays onto the finish.

Finish: short to medium, light white pepper notes, earth.

There are a variety of flavors going on and that is the only area it excels in. Even so, it feels slightly unbalanced and unfortunately not many good flavors. A little boring too. Even so, this is a solid blend and delivers a variety to the drinker. Supposedly this is what Clynelish, and indirectly Brora, is all about... which I'm not really digging.

Grade: C

Whiskyanalysis.com, 8.80 ± 0.19 on 6 reviews
Thewhiskeywash, Joshua St. John, 82/100
Thewhiskeyjug, Josh Peters, 87/100
Whisky advocate, Jonny McCormick, 87 points
Whiskynotes, Ruben Luyten, 81/100

Image courtesy of Eric Yee.

Eric Yee

🇭🇰 🇺🇸(LA, SF) -> 🇯🇵 (京都, 東京) -> 🇰🇷 (서울, 부산)