Compass box "Enlightenment"

This blog was started on 19th of March 2016.

Compass Box will come with a limited edition of "enlightenment".

In the USA it will be a 750 ml bottling at 46% ABV. 

The labels are just stunning and also give more information about their "transparency" campaign. In fact it looks like this expression was especially created to further give notice to the transparency campaign! 

So this campaign will go forward, but for this expression they choose to limit the information on the label just for now. 

Images below as found on TTB site of USA government COLA registry.

Update on 5th of June 2016.

After a reply to a Twitter message about a review by Thomas Speller on "The Circus", https://whiskyworship.blogspot.nl/2016/05/compass-box-circus.html?m=1 , I ended up receiving samples of both "enlightenment" and "the circus"! 

I am naturally honoured and very glad to be able to taste these two drams! 

Thank you compass box for sending me the samples! 

The first taste of this dram was on a Sunday afternoon while it was 26C outside. Sitting inside I poured myself a 10 ml sample. First impressions for what I think I tasted and smell are: 

Doesn't overpower nostrils 

Fruit: Orange

Spice: nutmeg 

Liquorice (engelse drop, die zwarte staafjes) 

Smoke? 

Tabacco

Some oak 

Nothing overly floral

Mild, doesn't sting as much on tongue Mild pepper, 

Salted meat, Schwarzwälder Schinken (Black Forest Ham)

Honey, 

Nothing bitter or medicinal. No sherry wine port influences.

I haven't read the tasting notes on the cards that were part of the envelope compass box send me. Well I did, but just before tasting I totally forgot what it said. 

I have has some Noah's Mill bourbon last night and the Lagavulin 8 yo anniversary edition. 

Non of the typical bourbon tastes and smells are in the nose and taste of the "enlightenment". This would suggest the use of European oaks or second fill ex bourbon. 

Nothing peaty in this dram either, but I did pick up something smoky since I think I tasted and smelled light smokiness from dried pork. 

I will taste and smell this dram some more, till the sample runs out. See if I pick up some more tastes and smells. 

Will I look at the tasting notes compass box put on the cards? I think I will, but I wanted to see what my nose and mouth and mind found at first taste. Next time I will see if I pick up the notes in the cards. 

Since I don't do marks I will just say I like it! 

Next thing I will do is find some research on the origins of the tastes I found and see if those are from the woods used to mature or from the distillate used by compass box.

So this blog is not quite done ;) lots to learn still!