I found this Compass Box Oak Cross at a price I couldn't resist. I've had a number of their other standard offerings, especially The Peat Monster, but never this one. Consisting of a marriage of American and French oak, with the core idea being a blending of vanilla and spice, it is mainly Clynelish with a couple other malts mixed in the bargain for their various qualities and then finished in a special Compass Box cask for two years. Bottled at 43% with no chill filtration and no coloring. Let's see if it succeeded:
Nose: Soy sauce (!), rich perfume, rich spiced oak, pear, some sweet syrupy vanilla, many spices including strong cinnamon and cloves, fresh bread, and white wine notes - especially lemon and white grapes. A bubblegum note, which I understand is the French oak. Delicious!
Mouthfeel: Quite succulent and oily.
Palate: Clean, very clean - oak comes through first and foremost, accompanied with strong notes of apple. Lemon peel and white wine. Cloves and more cinnamon follow from the nose. A little more bubblegum. It's a remarkably integrated series of flavors, and shows the expert curation that went into this whisky.
Finish: As with most oak-dominated finishes, this lasts quite a while: red apples, lemon peel, and oak tannins, and the oak stretches deep into the finish.
Verdict: As far as blends go, this is one of the better ones I've had. It's smooth, refined, rich, yet always knows what it's about. Clear intent and purpose, which is a lot more than you can say for most single malts. Another winner in the Compass Box stable.
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