Whisky Review: The Spice Tree by Compass Box Co.

After many years of going to the gym, lifting weights, treadmill and even a few aerobics classes, I have burnt out.  I can't do the gym anymore to the point where I would pull into the parking lot with a feeling of dread and say 'screw it', and head back home.

Maybe it's age too.  I am not as energetic as I once was nor as ambitious about my health, career or anything for that matter.  But, I do know I have to keep doing something or all my ailments (diabetes, etc) will go into overdrive.  So, I have taken up walking mostly in parks and around my neighborhood.  Sometimes, I can cajole Roger or Keith to do an hour long walk, but other times I am on my own.

During today's walk I was pondering what nip of whisky would be fitting for combating the chilly weather following my leafy jaunt.  Couldn't be peaty.  I just was not in the mood for a lot of peat and smoke.  Sherry?  Port?  For sure!  A heavy mouthfeel, velvety, yeah.  My mind sifted through possibilities like Macallan 12, Glendronach, Balvenie, and then I thought those are expensive (well not Glendronach but the others are) and so I came upon another contender that excited me: The Spice Tree.

While it is not a single malt, it can hold its own against these more expensive age statement single malts.  The Spice Tree is a blended malt, a combination of Clynelish (60%), Teaninich (20%) and Dailuaine (20%) malts that make for a brilliant Scotch whisky.   Also an affordable spirit too!  I am worrying about my pocketbook, in addition to my health, as I get older too.  I am not yet watching Coronation Street, but who knows what my interests will be as a senior.

The other added bonus with The Spice Tree is that, unlike Balvenie, Macallan and others, here we have a non-chill filtered and no artificial color spirit, which I really think it contributes great complexity of flavour.  While it does not have an age statement, this whisky delivers a solid flavour with texture that tells me the master blender made sure to have just enough older malts in the mix.  This is no simple dram.  The other reason for the complexity is the ABV at 46%!

Category
Blended malt.

Price
Very reasonable.

Age Statement
None.

Closure
Cork stopper.

ABV
46%

Nose (diluted)
Earthy, sherry oak, Bordeaux wine, roses.

Palate (diluted)
Creamy, heavy English cream laden with red berries and spicy currants, warm cinnamon rolls, rich and velvety, vanilla, claret, truffles, a very dry Bordeaux.

Finish (diluted)
Drying cranberries, tangy, some wild honey mixing with the Bordeaux.



General Impressions
As you have probably figured out, this is really good whisky.  Good price, good ABV level, good everything!  Clynelish is the core malt here and you really taste it.  The sherry and the casks it came from is done to perfection here.

A word about water.  You will note that my tasting note is based on diluting the spirit with some water.  I really think to a double pour you need about a teaspoon of water.  This whisky improves with water and neat is not optimal.

My hour long walk is over and now I can enjoy this dram having finished this post.

Have a great day!




Jason Debly

Review: The Spice Tree Malt Scotch Whisky by Compass Box

Age Statements, much ado about nothing!
The average whisky consumer probably assumes that age statements (ie. 10yrs, 12yrs, 18yrs, etc.) on the labels of whisky bottles are indicative of quality.  Older the whisky, the better the taste, so goes the notion.  Not necessarily so.  While Glenlivet 18yrs is superior to the 12 years, there are also a number of younger siblings that outshine their older brothers and sisters.  For me, just one example would be Cragganmore 12 years which beats many 15 and 18 year old single malts.  Another example is Laphroaig Quarter Cask.  It has no age statement.  In a head to head tasting with the Laphroaig 10 year old Cask Strength, the QuarterCask comes out on top.

These observations were triggered by my reading the latest edition of Whisky Magazine (Issue 89 - October 2010) in which the editor, Rob Allanson, makes this point.  For him, he prefers the 15 year old bottling of Glenfiddich over the 18yrs, 21yrs and so on.

To hammer this point home, there are blended malts (blends containing a variety of single malts, but no grain whiskies) that have no age statement, but are superior to many single malts and blends that do.  "Name them Debly!  I want names damn it, you think to yourself."  Ok, consider:  Spice Tree.

Spice Tree is a blended malt made by the Compass Box Whisky Company.  The ingredient single malts making up this blend are all from the Highland region.  They acknowledge Clynelish distillery as one of the sources of the Highland malt in it.  I taste Oban (a great West Highland malt), but this is pure speculation on my part. 

Nose (undiluted)
Malty, sea air, harness leather, dulse, against a rich hot chocolate background.

Palate (undiluted)
Round and sweet flavors of almonds, vanilla, After Eight mint chocolate and poppy seeds which intensify by mid-palate.  Mid-palate the sweetness transitions to drying oak.

Finish (undiluted)
Rich, subdued oak and vanilla transitions into ginger, lime, lemon grass and spices (nutmeg).  Final tastes echoing on the palate are of toned down pepper steak spices and cigar.

Add Water
A little water is also very nice in this dram.  A teaspoon to 3/4 oz (2cl) brings out creamy oak notes.  Makes the whole taste more decadent.  You gotta try it with water and then decide.  As an acquaintance of mine remarked that Spice Tree "is a cracker!"

General Impressions
Impressive!  Reminds me a lot of Oban 14 years, a great highland malt.  Although it is high in alcohol strength (46% volume), it is never offensive.  A smooth, highly quaffable whisky!  A balance is struck between oak, vanilla and rich fruit.  Really drinkable and beats the hell out of some single malts.  I visited the website of Compass Box Whisky and they advise that all the ingredient malts are between 10 and 12 years.  I have no doubt.

Very little peat is present in the flavor profile.  Not a problem, just an observation.  There is smoke, but very restrained.  Sherry flavors are present, but do not dominate.  For someone looking for a step up from blended scotch whisky, without breaking the bank, this is an obvious choice.  It will definitely become a regular fixture in my liquor cabinet, so long as this blender can maintain the consistency of flavors presented in this current bottling.

Very Reasonable Price
This whisky is priced fairly and is even what I consider to be a bit of a bargain.  For example, Oban 14 years is priced nearly twice as much and I can't say it is twice as good.  I acquired Spice Tree for a little more than the price point of Glenfiddich 12 yrs and Glenlivet 12 yrs.  While they are considerably different flavor profiles, Spice Tree is superior.

I liked it so much, I bought two more bottles. 

So, while there is no age statement, don't let that deter you from buying it.

Until next time . . .

Cheers!


Jason Debly
Copyright © Jason Debly, 2009-2010. All rights reserved.