Compass Box Oak Cross

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

Compass Box Oak Cross Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
43% ABV
$55 to $60
Website
OakCross-Box-Bottle
What the Blender Says:
We call this whisky Oak Cross because it offers the best characteristics of both American and French oak aging. A rich, medium-bodied blended malt Scotch whisky, Oak Cross combines vanilla characters from American oak and spicy, clove-like characters from French oak.

Innovative New Oak Casks
We work with a small mill in France that produces some of the highest quality cooperage oak in the world. It was our work with this mill that led us to experimenting with secondary maturation of malt whiskies in casks fitted with new French oak heads. This is something no one else in Scotland does. The result is whisky with more character and complexity. We use this technique on about 40% of the whisky in Oak Cross and it results in a superior finished product.

Flavour Descriptors
On the palate, notes of clove and vanilla accent a sweet maltiness and subtle fruit character.

Recommendations
Suitable as an aperitif served with a chilled water in the winter months. Full enough to serve as a summertime digestif. Excellent match for many cheeses.

Distillery Sourcing
Made entirely of Highland single malt whiskies from the villages of Brora – 60% (fruitiness), Carron – 20% (meatiness) and Alness – 20% (perfume).

Wood
All the whiskies are aged for their primary maturation in a mix of American oak cask types. The marrying casks are a mix of first-fill Bourbon barrels (60%) and our proprietary “Oak Cross” casks made of American and new French oaks (40%).

Bottling Details
Bottled at 43%. Natural colour. Not chill filtered.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Heather, grape jam covered toast, and a back note that’s a little meaty.
Palate: Surprisingly sweet. Peaches and cream, raw cane juice, and candied pineapple.
Finish: Woody and dry like an over handled California Chardonnay and then a big whump of spicy pepper and wood that lingers a while ultimately turning almost minty.
Comments: I’m a bit perplexed. I remember this always being my least favorite of the core Compass Box range but tasting it again after several years I don’t know why I felt that way. This is delicious.
Rating: Must Try

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Compass Box Asyla

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

Compass Box Asyla Blended Scotch Whisky
40% ABV
$50
Website
asyla_bottle_box-sm
What the Blender Says:
The ultimate “everyday,” “before dinner” or “Sunday afternoon” Scotch whisky. With just a splash of chilled water, this blend of soft, sweet grain whiskies and elegant, refined malt whiskies epitomises “deliciousness” in the world of Scotch whisky.

The Secret is in the Oak
The secret to making Asyla is the quality of the casks. We use only whiskies aged in first-fill American oak casks because these yield whiskies with more vanilla character, more richness and more sweetness than refill casks. Asyla is made with 50% malt whisky. There are few blended Scotches that use as high a malt content as we do at Compass Box. The result is a carefully crafted, elegant blended Scotch whisky that makes the perfect aperitif.

Flavour Descriptors
Sweet, delicate and very smooth on the palate, with flavours of vanilla-cream, cereals and a subtle applelike fruit character.

Recommendations
Ideal as an aperitif served in a white wine or similar glass with chilled water to taste. Try before a meal with shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano.

Distillery Sourcing
Single malts from the towns of Alness and Longmorn; single grain whisky from Fife.

Composition
A. 50% Lowland (East) Single Grain Fruitiness
B. 40% Highland Single Malt Perfumed
C. 10% Speyside Single Malt Fruitiness

Wood
100% first-fill American oak ex-Bourbon. Vanilla

Bottling Details
Bottled at 40%. Not chill filtered. Natural colour.

What Richard Says:
Nose: The nose is light and delicate with wisps of heather, honeysuckle, and turned apples. It reminds me of some of the mid-20th century perfumes and lotions my grandmother used.
Palate: The mouth feel is lovely, creamy and inviting. Creme brulee and fresh hay.
Finish: This whisky leaves like a long slow goodnight kiss after a date. Soft at first and then pushes in a little harder with wood, pepper, and alcohol before slowly pushing away.
Comments: Gosh, I think I have a crush on this pretty lady. This is a lovely and delicate whisky. It is easy to approach and even easier to enjoy. One word of caution though, to the peat freaks and those always looking to push the limits of robust flavor, this is probably not the dram for you.
Rating: Must Try

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Compass Box Great King Street Artist’s Blend

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

Compass Box Great King Street: The Artist’s Blend Blended Scotch Whisky
43% ABV
$40-$45
Website
great_king_street_artists_blend
What the Blender Says:
Great King Street is a new line of craft Scotch whiskies created by the Compass Box Whisky Company for people who love great whisky.

In a world where malt whiskies get all the attention, people often overlook the pleasures of good Blended Scotch. This is the style of Scotch whisky that combines flavourful single malt whiskies with delicate, elegant single grain whiskies. We believe it is time for the world to take a fresh look at this style, and that is why we have created Great King Street.

There are good reasons why the blending of grain and malt whisky has been the mainstay of the Scotch business for well over 150 years. Well-made Blended Scotch whiskies have an elegance and approachability that make them a joy to drink. They are far more versatile than other styles of whisky, equally enjoyable drunk on their own or with ice, soda water, or in cocktails.

Due to the preponderance of poorly made, inexpensive Blended Scotch whiskies on the market, many people assume any bottle of Scotch bearing the term ‘blended’ is somehow inferior. Not if you make it the way we do. With Great King Street we hope to enlighten people to the joys of a well-made Blended Scotch because they open up so many new opportunities to enjoy great whisky.

We believe in transparency. These days, more and more people are interested to know what is in their whisky. Here is a breakdown of the whisky components of Artist’s Blend.

WHISKY (Spirit Character)
A Lowland Grain Whisky (fruity/perfumed) 46%
B Northern Highland Single Malt (malty/fruity) 28%
C Northern Highland Single Malt (grassy/perfumed) 17%
D Speyside Single Malt (meaty) 9%

Here is a breakdown of the wood components of Artist’s Blend.
WOOD (Flavour Impact)
1 First Fill American Oak Barrel (vanilla) 66%
2 New French Oak Finish {New-Headed Barrel} 26%
(Grilled Marshmallow, toastiness, roasted coffee)
3 First Fill Sherry Butt (wine, dried fruits) 8%

What Richard Says:
Nose: As soon as you open the bottle vanilla sugar starts to waft out. Behind the sweetness it is very light, herbal, and delicate with minor sherry notes. After it ssites in the glass a bit an odd mustiness sets in so let it sit too long. 😉
Palate: Finish: The whisky oozes vanilla, floral sweetness, and a creamy buttery mouth feel. Again, as it sits and aerates it changes a bit and a little wood bite kicks in.
Finish: This lingers with long, slow oak, aged tobacco, and tannic bitterness.
Comments: Are you looking for a new blend to tray and deep stocked in your bar? Look no further. This is a delicious and very approachable dram. John Glaser’s desire to create an everyday blend succeeds with flying colors.
Rating: Stands Out

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Compass Box, Empire State South, & The GBS

/ / Richard's Blog, Scottish Whisky

Last night I went to a Compass Box event featuring John Glaser at Empire State South with a few of the guys from the Georgia Bourbon Society including Dave whose new blog you can check out . We had a blast but to be honest we usually do. The event was structured a little differently from whiskey events I attended in the past. We had the bar area of the restaurant and Empire gave everyone a Compass Box centric menu. The menu featured some tasty bits plus 0.5, 1, and 2 ounce pours of Asyla, Great King Street Artists Blend, Great King Street NY Blend, Oak Cross, Spice Tree, Peat Monster, Delilah’s, and Peat Monster 10th Anniversary along with some tasty cocktails featuring Compass Box whiskies. All were a la carte and not inexpensive. While we were imbibing Mr. Glaser was floating from table to table to answer questions and talk about his great whiskies and his craft. If you haven’t had a chance to meet John Glaser then I will tell you that he is a very approachable and knowledgeable gentleman who enjoys talking about what he does.

During the discussions with Mr. Glaser we got the background on the making of his recent Delilah’s limited release. This lovely whisky was made at the request of the owner of the namesake bar in Chicago. It was supposed to be a bourbon inspired easy drinking whisky that would go equally well with a beer or in a nosing glass. On both accounts Compass Box succeeded with flying colors. The secret to the blend is some 12 year old Cameronbridge single grain that Diageo was experimenting with in new oak barrels. This is the source to the lovely vanilla notes coming through. Delicious!

Toward the end of the night after we had certified our whisky-geekdom street cred Mr. Glaser comes over with a few small pours of The General. In addition to being amazing he also regaled us with the story of this bottling. This new limited release is the result of two blends that came into the possession of Compass Box. One is around 33 years old and of unknown province. This one came via a whisky broker. The other is around 40 years and came from Gordon and MacPhail. The uniqueness of this whisky has many layers. It’s very old. It is a blend of blends. And those blends were pre-blended and aged as blends subsequent to blending. The back story is almost as interesting as the whisky.

For those interested in The General your local options are limited. Tower is only getting a couple of bottles and those may already be spoken for. Call and ask for Matt. Green’s also has a few so that may be your best local option. I’m told that the only other retailer in Georgia getting any is Habersham’s in Savannah.

Our final piece of inside information was Mr. Glaser’s reveal of the next release. In the fall will be a release of Great King Street The Glasgow Blend. This will be a sherry smoky new addition to the regular line coming out of experimental work done in the European market. For those that don’t know Compass Box release a sherry focused experimental blend and a smoky focused experimental blend in Europe only. The purpose was to gauge interest in which direction they should go with their next blend. Apparently, it was split down the middle. As a result, the new blend will be the best of both worlds.

My only gripe about the whole evening is that I would’ve preferred a set price and whisky list similar to other tasting but it was a minor inconvenience. This was a great time featuring great whisky and a great whiskymaker. Fittingly, during April we will be featuring reviews of Compass Box whiskies here so be sure to check back. Oh, and we sort of made John Glaser an honorary member of the Georgia Bourbon Society too.

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Bushmills 16 Year

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review /

Bushmills 16 Year
Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Matured in Three Woods

40% ABV
$80-$85
Website
bushmills
What the Distiller Says:
“Well‚ it takes a special dedication to create the Bushmills 16 year-old‚ that and lots of patience. Two whiskies are matured for 16 years‚ one in a bourbon barrel and the other in sherry‚ and then they are married together in a sweet port infused cask. It’s a marriage made in heaven!”
– Master Distiller Colum Egan

NOSE: Aromatic nose with hints of almonds and a nutty sweetness
TASTE: A warm port sweetness on the back of the throat that drifts up to form an almond‚ marzipan fusion with hints of Honey beehoney and praline
FINISH: Deep‚ jammy and dark chocolate.

Recommended Serving:
45mls Bushmills 16 Year-Old. (1.5 oz)
1 Whiskey Glass
A drop of water

What Richard Says:

Nose: It starts out abrupt and a little meaty. From there it is grainy with a heavy focus toward cereal grains. The wood interplay is interesting. It get a heave sherry background that is trying to fight through the port. I’m undecided if it works or not.
Palate: The flavor is clean, mellow, and inoffensive. Rolling it around I get crisp apples, toasted pine nuts, an a cereal back. The flavors aren’t particularly bold but this is ridiculously drinkable.
Finish: It comes on delicate and slow but rather elegant. There is almost no finish at first but the port wood slowly creeps in and guides you out.
Comments: Nose….meh. Everything else….great! This would be a “drinker’s dram” in my book. By that I mean that it is not for those that want to spend the evening with their noses in their glasses waxing poetic. Rather, it is a great dram if yo uwna tto sit with some friends and just enjoy some good whiskey. I also feel compelled to own up to something. This is a dram I had to spend a lot of time with. It is really a mood dram for me. If I’m in the mood I love it and review accordingly. If I force then I don’t respond as well. What you see above is the combination of those two experiences.

Rating: Stands Out

What Gary Says

Nose:  Soft, fruity and floral with with subtle dark fruits, honey, and hint of the port pipe.
Palate:  Sweet, with soft fruit notes, honey, raisins, almonds, praline, bit of chocolate and a slight pepper spice.
Finish:  Moderately long, slightly drying with honeyed fruit and milk chocolate.
Comments:  This is a significant step up from the 10 year. I agree with Richard that this is ridiculously drinkable – although I’ll bet this would be a LOT better at a higher ABV. Still pretty solid in terms of flavor density. When Richard reviewed this in 2014, it was $80 – $85. In 2020 here in Atlanta, this is over $120. It is still a solid single malt – but overpriced in my book.

Rating: Stands Out

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