Whiskey hunting is practically a national pastime at this point. There’s no shortage of people seeking Pappy Van Winkle, Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, Weller, and Blanton’s. Finding those bourbons is difficult and downright frustrating, since they’re often overpriced when available.
Instead, I’m on the hunt for something completely different: discontinued Scotch. Specifically, the reasonably priced, totally delicious blend called The Spice Tree.
Last year, boutique whiskey maker Compass Box revised its core lineup, eliminating two offerings—The Spice Tree and The Story of the Spaniard—to make way for newcomers Nectarosity and Crimson Casks. The move followed an announcement in 2023 that Compass Box Hedonism, a blended grain whisky, would shift from permanently available to limited annual release.
It was a disappointing moment for fans of those whiskies, but at least we were given warning. Most of the time, when a whiskey is phased out—due to supply issues, low sales, or because something new is taking its place—it happens quietly.
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When I saw the news, my ears pricked up. Compass Box releases numerous limited editions every year, which are fun hunting targets. In the past, I’ve snagged a rare bottle of Great King Street New York Blend and the elusive Eleuthera. And the company has shuffled its core range before, making once commonplace bottles like Oak Cross—the first Scotch I ever bought—and everyday drinker Asyla now true rarities in the wild.
To me, Compass Box whiskies are a rewarding find. The quality is uniformly high, and the prices have always been fair, even for the higher-end stuff. Bottles aren’t phased out because they don’t taste good or no one wants them. It’s just that sometimes, Compass Box runs out of what it needs to make them. As a blender, it relies on sourced whiskey, and sources can be limited.
According to CEO Maurice Doyle, it made business sense to pare down the core range from seven whiskies to four.
“We had some feedback that it was hard to navigate—a lot of flavor overlap,” he says. “So we decided to have a more focused, easier to navigate core collection.”
Whatever the reasons, now's the time to start looking for these discontinued Compass Box whiskies. They shouldn’t be too hard to find at this stage, although the longer you wait, the tougher it will be.
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I love The Spice Tree in particular. It combines Highland and Speyside single malts and, as the name suggests, is rich with spice notes thanks to a custom oak program that came from bit of rule-bending.
Initially, Compass Box matured whiskies for The Spice Tree in barrels that had French oak staves inserted—thus increasing the contact between wood and whisky. The Scotch Whisky Association cracked down, however, forbidding the practice as too outré for its enforced traditional methods.
Instead, Compass Box developed its own unique barrel with staves made of American oak and heads made of French oak, the perfect ratio for imparting just the right amount of spice on the whisky without overwhelming it. This barrel has become something of a company signature and will still be used for other blends even as The Spice Tree disappears.
Perhaps the most enticing reason of all to hunt down The Spice Tree is its price. Between $55 and $65 in most places—sometimes cheaper—it’s easy to justify a purchase even if you already have a bottle or two at home.
After all, as a discontinued whisky that will never be made again, it stands a good chance of appreciating in value. Maybe not by a lot. But then again, who knows?
Regardless, I’ll be drinking mine. You'll have to keep hunting.
Related: How to Drink Scotch Whisky: Experts Share Their Best Tips
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