Compass Box are really geared up in 2019 as I counted 6 new global releases so far in 2019 and a few more are coming later year. We’ve managed to review most of them here and here’s the review on their latest release to date: The Circle No. 1.

The Circle is the result of a competition ran by Compass Box back in 2018 for bartenders and Rosey Mitchell, the winner of the competition was prized creating a blend along with John Glazer and Jill Boyd.

Rosey wanted to make an approachable whisky to be shared with friends, something for the daytime, a whisky with brightness. She called it “sunshine in a glass.”

And the way to ‘sunshine in a glass’ went through this recipe:

We usually don’t get to see a whisky so dominated by ex-bourbon Tamdhu so I was very keen to try this and see how this combo works out.

6,151 bottles were produced (at 46%) and as usual, no colorant or chill filtering we used.

Compass Box The Circle Release No. 1 (46%, £112/€123.95)

Nose: Toffee and honey, followed by sweet dried fruit and candle wax. Then subtle wood spice and peat smoke drifts in, cake dough, soursweet raspberry jam. After a few minutes more honey, white pepper and delicate greenery with dried peaches and pears. Then it gets herbal honey, cinnamon and ever so gentle waxy texture.

Palate: Spicy, sweet heather honey, Lots of white pepper, peaches, subtle herbal freshness, soot and peat, oak spice, Cake-y and creamy, quite rich and punchy for the ABV.

Finish: Medium length, drier, sweet honey, dried waxy fruit and lingering subtle spice, soot and peat.

Thoughts: With the ample yet gentle spiciness and the creamy fruitiness, it’s bright indeed, just not so sure about the sunshine part here – maybe if it was with dominate tropical fruitiness… It’s nice with creamy fruitiness and a touch herbal sweetness and soot, I’m just not so sure about the VFM here (or sadly with any recent new whisky released) being good enough.