If you ever make your way through the dusky maze of pub paved streets in London, you may find yourself looking at a seemingly incongruous Scotch joint. Compass Box was founded in 2000, by Whisky visionary John Glaser, inLondon England. After a go at the Wine industry, he took a shot at Whisky, working for Diageo. Compass Box is not a distillery, but a blender of fine Scottish Whiskies. Glaser combines the creme de la creme of casks from Islay and Speyside, to the Highlands.
The Compass Box crew are notorious for challenging the status quo, striving to push the boundaries of experimentation without sacrificing quality or taste.
Seemingly uninhibited by the formidable Scottish Whisky industry, Glaser brings a fresh perspective to the art of Whisky making, shifting paradigms… stickin' it to the man. But this visionary Spirit comes at a price, let's not forget, Galileo was convicted of heresy and persecuted.
In 2005, Compass Box had a tasty controversy on their hands; their Spice Tree blended malt. The release was a blended Whisky made using inner staves, or wooden slats inserted into the casks to enhance flavor. Wine-makers use this technique as a more economical way to add oak flavor wine.
Oak Cross is a Highland blend from their Signature Range of Compass Box with a clove and fruity character. It's comprised of 60% fruity malt Whisky from the villages of Brora, 20% meaty malt Whisky from the village of Carron, and 20% fragrant malt Whisky from Alness. For the primary maturation stage, all of the Whiskies are aged in a variety of American oak and French casks. 60% of this blend is then re-casked in Glaser's distinct hybrid casks.
The Flavor Spiral™ shows the most common flavors that you'll taste in Compass Box Oak Cross and gives you a chance to have a taste of it before actually tasting it.
We invented Flavor Spiral™ here at Flaviar to get all your senses involved in tasting drinks and, frankly, because we think that classic tasting notes are boring.
Toffee and oak notes. Spice and vanilla on the tongue
Maryjo,
Smooth and the best taste of scotch I've had in awhile. 12/2020
Kevin,
Spicy! Really like this scotch!
Westberg,
one of my favorites from the Advent Calendar
Ben,
Apple, fruit, citrus
Nathan,
Vanilla and spice followed by oak and fading to apple. This is good.
Stephen,
A good blended single malt. Definite spice, and also a strong blend of spices. Smooth on the back end.
Frank,
(Advent 2020, #23) Sweet toffee and a little oak in the nose. Tasting it there's a spicy bit (which mellows with a cube of ice), malt, and sweet vanilla flavor. The finish is nice.
Todd,
The right amount of spicy. Water brings more out of this one. I would have again.
Michael,
Like Compass Box blends — peat monster was fine - this is another good one. Smooth through... nice flavors
Tracy,
Smells sweet and fruity, initially tasted very spicy but mellowed out a little with an ice cube. I don’t often like whiskeys with much oak, but the oak is balanced with the other flavors, not my favorite but definitely not bad.
Brady,
Smooth up front, then spicy and an interesting fruit taste at the end. It’s decent and I think a little more aging would do it well.
Jason,
Very nice. Sweet vanilla and fruit. A pleasant spicy oak bite toward the end. Enjoyable finish. A favorite thus far.
Vincent,
Advent Day 23 - Fruity and sweet nose with hints of ginger, cloves on the palate before a malty finish with notes of apples and milk. Overall, this was a nice dram for the final days of Advent.
Louise,
Sweet. Maybe an after dinner drink.
Adam,
Really nice, smooth drink. Definitely a strong fruit flavor, with a quick punch of apple midway. Creamy, and good mouthfeel.
Mike,
Very smooth, complex flavor without anything that's going to push people away. An interesting take on the Highlands.
Derek,
Apple, vanilla, and malt on the nose. A light, well-balanced sweetness on the palate with only the mildest spice. Just the tiniest hint of clove on the finish.
Smooth, easy drinker. Probably would have been an 8 for me if the spice and clove had been more pronounced.
Bob,
Flaviar Advent sampler day 23. This is a very nice Scotch! I wonder if Flaviar is saving the best for (next-to) last. A bit of a bite but not overpowering. Cloves and vanilla are primarily what I taste (plus spice, of course). I'd definitely buy a bottle of this. Definitely in the top 3 selections in this sampler.
James,
Above average Scotch and enjoyable; punches above it's weight for the price point.
Nose is a bit medicinal with some oak, peat & spice
Initial light spice in the mouth transitions to a bit of oak, sweetness, and a short lived finish.
Overall, tastes better than it smells. I enjoyed it but likely wouldn't buy it.
advent day 23, 2020
Thomas,
Really nice. Very well crafted. Balanced, complex, easy to sip.
Matthew,
Not at all spicy. Very smooth, very sweet, with a hint of fruit and cream oatmeal. The clove and oak build to a light, medium-length vanilla finish. Good blend, with primarily fruitier malts prevalent.
James,
Well blended and smooth, a zesty yet silky feel with tingly finish that is just short of bite
Matthew,
Enjoyable, but not running out for a bottle. Definite apple on the nose, plus scalded milk. Opens up with a good hit of malt on the tongue, followed by caramel and clove. For me the oak built as I made my way through the glass. On a larger pour it might have become overpowering.
Dustin,
Simply delicious
Michele,
Sweet up front then spicy. Really a lovely sipper.
Ryan,
Very smooth and very interesting flavors. Big oak and the clove makes it more complex. I didn't feel like this was a spicy as the spiral leads to believe.
Laura,
Strong woody taste. Very interesting flavors. Worth savoring, still drinkable.
Andrew,
Very smooth but too light for my tastes. More of an introductory whisky
Daniel,
Advent 2020 #23 - spicy spicy spicy. A little levity of smith/sweet at the end, but the warmth sticks around. It's ok, but not worth it for us.
Aaron,
Light, sweet, easy to drink, almost floral taste. Really enjoyed it.
Rick,
This is lighter, reminds me more of a Japanese whiskey. Has a nice burn but is more gentle and not Smokey. Enjoyed this one.
Tristen,
Aroma - sweet, hints of apple (possibly green apple)
Jake,
This truly is a delicious blend. I recommend it to new scotch drinkers and old alike. Whether your palate is seasoned or novice you will enjoy this whiskey very much. Bottles like this don't last long in my cabinet and I must order more soon!
Anthony,
nose: spiced fruits, very complex nose, difficult to pinpoint the exact notes, grapes, apples,
palate: slightly poily, berries, lots of spices
finish: spiced apples, red berries, medium long finish, oak, slight milk chocolate, a little watery
overall" if the finish didnt have a 'watery' aftertaste, i would bump it up a few. solid but still missing some coherence
Brian,
My new favorite! Nice start with great finish!
Ty,
My least favorite Compass Box that I've tried. A good dram for sure, but not as balanced as their other offerings. This is probably a polarizing whisky. Very strong oaky spiciness and bitterness. You definitely taste the American oak and European oak. That might be perfect for some, but just doesn't align with my palate.
guest,
Horrible
Jason,
Tasty, not exceptionally peaty. Don't add ice.
Robert,
Very smooth enjoyable neat or on the rocks. Will definitely restock the bar with it when it's gone.