Compass Box "Orchard House" Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

Fragrantly floral and fruity, with a soft waxiness (thanks to Clynelish and Benrinnes) and lovely wood notes. The fruits come across as "young" (mainly grape, pear, and peach), but are well integrated with some oily spirit, sweet ex-bourbon aromas, and a slightly savory side. The minuscule amount of Caol Ila provides a briny / saline / maritime backdrop without ever translating into any actual smokiness. Buttery soft with zero alcohol in the nose. Honeyed and rich. Excellent cask quality.

Surprisingly deep and textured, with a great balance of sweetness, fruity acidity, and oak spice. Again, no "boozy", alcoholic impression; the first-fill bourbon wood has done its job well and filtered out any rough edges in a short amount of time. This may not have worked with other distillates, but the Clynelish/Benrinnes/Caol Ila combination really comes through with a nice mouthfeel and way more character than your standard 10-12-year-old Speysider. I'm no Linkwood expert, but there's also a faintly herbal/earthy/rooty impression that it might be responsible for. Tasty, fun, and unboring to drink.

Long, especially when you take age into account. Honeyed, malty and fruity, with immaculate oak influence and a puff of smoke to round things off and prolong the experience. At times I'm unsure if there's just a whiff of more "neutral" alcohol in the finish, but the impression comes and goes, so I'm detracting no more than a point here.