Compass Box Delilah’s is an homage to Delilah’s, Mike Miller’s legendary punk rock whisky bar in Chicago, to celebrate the bar’s 20th anniversary in 2013. The late Michael Jackson called it the most important bar in America.
Delilah’s is a blended whisky, developed by John Glaser and Mike Miller as an expression of their shared vision on great whisky. It’s a mix of 50% malt whisky (our guess would be Longmorn and Teaninich) and 50% grain whisky from Cameronbridge. The blend was aged in ‘experimental’ new American oak barrels and rejuvenated American oak hogsheads.
Funny remark: the press release claims it was created to be perfect served as a shot with a beer. That’s not how we enjoy our whisky, but let’s try it anyway.
Delilah’s 20th Anniversary
(40%, Compass Box 2013, 6324 btl.)
Delilah’s 20th AnniversaryNose: truckloads of vanilla, sweet cereals (Honey Pops) and something of a fruit syrup. Peach, a little mango. Apple and lemon sweets. Hints of white chocolate. Lots of barley sugars with subtle new oak spices.
Mouth: smooth and really fruity again. Pretty much the same creamy vanilla, honey and biscuits. Not too soft at 40%. Gentle spices again and no harsh grainy notes. It lacks a little complexity but it’s well composed.
Finish: more grainy notes now, hints of grated coconut and a gentle oaky dryness.
It’s a fun whisky, easy to drink and quite undemanding. That’s exactly what they were aiming for, I guess. A perfect card player’s whisky. Around € 70.
Score: 84/100