Compass Box Eleuthera

Compass Box is a whisky company run by John Glaser. He is a blender and bottler, but much more than that – a whisky artist in my humble opinion. His Eleuthera appeared in 2002 and is a vatting (or blended malt, I should say) of Clynelish and Coal Ila. Eleuthera is Greek for freedom (and also the name of an island in the Bahamas, but that is quite beside the point).

The nose is very appearling and aromatic. Creamy too. Nicely sweet as in vanilla and marshmallows on the one hand, somewhat peaty with smoked ham on the BBQ, toasted brown bread and some white turnip on the other. Nice smokiness. After a few moments it becomes salty, reminding me of Caol Ila, which is always a good thing.

The arrival is somewhat soft. Light body. But the taste makes up for that. Cardboard first (sound not too good, but works wonders with the salty edge in this case) before the peat takes charge, supported by the sweet fruit in the shape of juicy apples and some mango. Loads of honey, balancing things out. It has a nice peppery touch too and a twig of mint for a fresh uplift.

The finish is fairly long and gives the peat the final word, with a bit smoky and peppery death.

Nicely balanced and smoky whisky in which the Caol Ila puts its foot down. The name clearly emphasizes the freedom John Glaser enjoys when crafting this type of whisky. Recommended.

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