Details
- Price: $68
- Proof: 92 (46% ABV)
- Type: Scotch
- Age: No Age Statement
- Distillery: Compass Box
- Visit the distillery page at Compass Box The Spaniard
Review
Nose: The nose is decent with limited scotch scents coming through. The whisky has a slight amber color from the oak finish. Nothing special or bad about the appearance and nose.
Palate: The initial taste is smooth and mellow with limited burn. Right as you begin to question what you’re drinking, the complexity builds as you notice intense spices. The name, Spice Tree, is earned in the character and flavor of this whisky. It’s a unique experience and different from many of the scotches on the market. Blended malt scotch whiskeys at this high of a price aren’t common (they’re typically single malt). Compass Box owns the blended malt market, and they do it with style. The unique flavors make the $70 price of admission worth it for this bottle. The spicy, oak flavors are impressive and tasty.
Finish: The Spice Tree brings complexity in the close as it slowly dissolves into a smooth flavor on our palate. The taste continues for a few seconds, but it doesn’t linger too long or require water to remove from your palate. Each sip is enjoyed, making this a great gift or collection builder, especially if you seek to purchase all the Compass Box expressions (you’ll see similar comments on each review from this distillery, which displays consistency and them targeting a broader audience).
Rating
Overall Score: 7.2 (score reflects taste and price)
Compass Box The Spice Tree is a non chill-filtered scotch, aged in casks with French oak heads and American oak bodies. The whisky initially offers smooth flavors that quickly unfold into intense spices for a unique experience. As you continue into your third drink and beyond, the rich flavors are on display with a subtle finish that will be appreciated by many scotch drinkers. The flavors and character match the price.
Degenerate Discussion
I’m sampling three Compass Box expressions as I write the reviews (you’re damn right, I complete the reviews while I’m drinking). This is the second tasting and I’m completely impressed. The bottles are on the pricier end, but they’re making me a believer. This is a great scotch and the spices separate it from competitors. The only shitty thing about my experience is it will cost me a lot of money…I have to buy all the bottles like the time when I had to catch all the Pokémon in Pokémon Go. My buddy and I were trashed in Minneapolis when the game released; we spent the entire night stumbling around downtown catching Pokémon like a couple of douchebags.
As I mentioned, Compass Box offers many expressions. I found a 3-box whisky set, which includes The Spaniard, The Spice Tree, and The Peat Monster (pictured). I highly recommend purchasing this if you enjoy Scotch and want to try them. Cheers Degenerates!
Listings
You can find Compass Box The Spice Tree on the following Degenerate listing:
- Compass Box Whisky Reviews