As the name suggests, the Experimental Grain Whisky from Compass Box comes with a twist! While 69 per cent of the vatted whiskies in this blend are bonafide grains (Cameronbridge, North British, and Hedonism), the remaining 31 per cent are a bit less classical: the liquid used here comes from Loch Lomond Distillery and is completely based off peated malted barley. However, it was distilled on a Coffey still rather than a pot still, and hence it has to be labeled a grain. According to Compass Box’s official fact sheet for this limited edition release, it is “the perfect spirit around which to build a unique blended grain Scotch whisky”. As both a strong advocate of grains and a big fan of high-percentage experiments, I can only say: “Mission accomplished”! The Experimental Grain Whisky is a super-fun drop with an exciting backstory, a special approach, an attractive, flavor profile, and an eye-catching design – all brought forth and together by Compass Box’s already-legendary creativeness and enthusiasm!

by Tobi

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Eye: Bright and sunny.
Nose: A soft opening with semolina porridge, butter cookies, vanilla powder, mango bites, and dried apple rings. There’s something velvety in there, too, that has me thinking of peach peel and chamomile blossom. The bouquet is elegant but also somewhat sticky … and highly salivating!
Palate: The Experimental Grain by Compass Box is aptly put together, offering a wealth of tongue-pleasing flavors cuddled up in an harmonious embrace. The milky spirit focuses on pudding, pastry, chocolate, and creme – enriched with tropical fruits. Here and there, I also taste a pinch of salt. However, as soon as that sensation appears, it almost immediately gets swept away by the wee sip of orange liquor that follows after. To be honest, I don’t sense much of the peat smoke from Loch Lomond’s coffee-still-created “faux-grain” here, which accounts for 31 per cent of the blend’s recipe. If I hadn’t known it before, I would most likely have taken this for a through-and-through unpeated dram.
Finish: The whisky’s final offerings last mid-long. The initial rush of jellied lemons, grapes, peach juice, and vanilla sauce fades rather soon; the following notes of zest, pear, oak, and toffee remain a bit longer. Towards the very end, I filly get a tiny puff of oily and greasy smoke, too.

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Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Region: Scotland
Age: NAS
Alc. volume: 46%
Bottle size: 0.7 litres
# of bottles: 6,142
Price: ~90.00 Euro
More info: http://www.compassboxwhisky.com/

*** I bought the bottle as a regular, paying customer . ***