One of 12 noble malts chosen to represent the Thanes in Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth. This vatting of four first-fill bourbon barrels is a fantastic example of rich, weighty 1990s Glen Garioch. More than three decades in American oak has created a concentrated and full-bodied dram with satisfying notes of panettone, candied peel, and banana.
The whiskies for this series were chosen by Elixir Distillers based on character profiles created by spirits writer Dave Broom. Each bottling features artwork from celebrated illustrator Sir Quentin Blake.
Tasting Notes (courtesy of Joe Rogers, The Whisky Exchange) Nose: Candied peel, white grapes and kiwis. After those fruity notes comes a much richer side with panettone, dried apricots and golden syrup Palate: More green fruit, then bananas, cough candy and barley sugars. It’s nicely fat and oily in texture with oat cakes, nutmeg, wildflowers and dry chalky white wines Finish: Long and stony with a lingering fruitiness Comment: Brilliantly textural with lots of character. A very enjoyable dram
What Gary Says
Nose: Light, floral, subtle fruit with peaches, pears and baked apples, honey, heather and a bit of nylon rope. Palate: Creamy mouthfeel, honey, vanilla, orange marmalade with peaches, cinnamon and building pepper spice. Finish: Moderate in length, drying with fruit spice. Comments: This is a quite nice dram, and an interesting concept (as a fan of The Bard, I’m curious about the selection but these are mostly priced outside of my reach; thanks to Richard for providing a sample as he graciously does so often!). Very gentle and tasty; a bit of water brings out a bit of smoked pork on the nose, and mutes that pepper spice build on the palate.
Matured in a single first-fill sherry butt for more than two decades, this 1996 Longmorn single malt was bottled by Signatory Vintage in August 2019, exclusively for The Whisky Exchange’s 20th Anniversary. Bottling Date: August 2019 No of Bottles: 433 Cask Type: First-Fill Sherry Butt Cask Number: 105100
Tasting Notes (from Billy Abbott) Nose: To quote a certain anchorman: rich mahogany – both the colour and the first thing out of the glass. There are some leather-bound books as well, but beforehand this dives head-first into a bowl of dried fruit: dates, cherries, prunes and the expected raisins. There’s a touch of barrel-char smokiness behind the fruit, with a spoonful of brown sugar making sure it doesn’t get too much. Palate: Softer than expected from the nose, but still thick and very rich. Malt loaf with cherry jam; liquorice sticks dipped in brown sugar; toasted schwarzbrot with honey. Clove-heavy speculaas biscuits sit at the back, with bitter liquorice pastels and a touch of charred oak. Finish: Char and concentrated dried fruit hang around with an ever-changing cast of extras: cinnamon toast, blackcurrant jam, singed cloves and sweet liquorice. Comment: A bit of a beast, but with more complexity than it has any right after 23 years in an active sherry cask. Endless layers of fruit spice.
What Gary Says
Nose: Dark fruit notes of figs, dates, raisins and cherries, leather, pipe tobacco smoke, oak and raw honey. Palate: Thick, viscous and rich with fig, cherry, honey, anise, a bit of cinnamon with cloves, nutmeg, chocolate, walnuts and oak. Finish: Long and drying with spiced dates and figs. Comments: The words ‘Longmorn’ and ‘Sherry’ combined translate (for me anyways) to ‘happy place’. I have many fond memories of sipping mature sherry-bomb Longmorns on different occasions with whiskey friends, where the dram was improved only by the company (but tasting this one alone – still pretty damned good!) The nose reminds me of sitting in a wood-paneled library full of old books, worn leather furniture and wisps of pipe tobacco in the air (and a rock glass of Scotch, of course). A bit of water brings out a note of blood orange on the nose, and tilts the palate from chocolate towards caramel – but again, this is one I absolutely love neat.
46% ABV $75 Website We would like to thank Compass Box for sending us a sample to review.
What the Blender Says
Majestic, rich and balanced intensity.
TRANSFORMATIVE SHERRY CASKS The crown of oak speaks volumes. Its message can be read like the rings of a tree. For this is our majestic king, and his influence over our realm of flavour is unmistakable.
A regal sage, he is our timeless connection to the ancient forest and the power of nature. And in his hands, this power does not corrupt. It transforms. When he emerges from the woodland, he brings to our blending table the magic of metamorphosis.
His touch is there in the way he imparts a warm, generous nuttiness into every fibre of our crimson casks. And the result? A domino effect of spicy, sherried richness. Liquid into wood, into liquid again, intensifying at every moment. It feels near miraculous.
Yet there is method in this magic. Our mysterious visitor is no wizard of the woods, no trickster dancing with abandon between the branches. We understand each other deeply, and the profound knowledge of flavour he has gathered through time immeasurable is his greatest gift.
And by sharing this gift with us, he is strengthening the roots that have always entwined the human spirit with the forest.
Heavy may be the head that wears the crown, but he carries it like the most kindly of kings. He is magisterial. Powerful. Yet balanced by a benevolent generosity that says ‘what’s mine is yours – enjoy…’
So, will you do him the honour?
Flavour profile Chocolate fudge cake undercut with clove and cardamom, with hints of plum jam and redcurrant jelly, then rich cherry, toffee and oak, finished with raisin, honey and brown sugar.
Natural colour | Not chill-filtered | Blended Malt Scotch Whisky First Released: 2024
What Gary Says
Nose: Rich, dark fruits, sandalwood, leather, toffee, smoke, hint of balsamic and subtle earthiness. Palate: Creamy and rich with dark fruits, raisins, plums, cinnamon, honey, chocolate and earthy notes. Finish: Moderately long, drying slightly with earthy notes, cinnamon and fruit cake. Comments: The color on this dram advertises sherry and it delivers that in spades. Just an absolutely lovely whisky! Appreciate the 46% ABV (although I’ll bet I wouldn’t hate it at a few points higher, maybe a limited edition offering at cask strength in the future?) A bit of water introduces a more citrus bend on the palate, but I prefer this one neat. This was the second tasting sample I received (along with Nectarosity), and I liked this one the best.
46% ABV $65 Website We would like to thank Compass Box for sending us a sample to review.
What the Blender Says
WHISKY MEETS PATISSERIE Behind the most exquisite patisseries are test kitchens of invention. Places buzzing with energy where chefs obsess over every flake of fractured crust, every curl of custard cream. Part artistry, part alchemy, this is mastery at work. And when their experimentation creates a true harmony of flavour, it has to be shared. Because generosity drives this endeavour. If nectar is the food of the gods, and joy comes from celebrating with others, then we need a new word for that irresistible urge. And that word is ‘Nectarosity’.
Special American oak barrels are deployed twice. First to impart sweet spice to grain spirit, which finishes maturing in other casks. Once ‘prepared’, the barrels age malt whisky. We expertly blend these two characterful whiskies with selected others to dial up the fruit and toffee notes.
Joyously zesty with honey, lychee, juicy apricot and pineapple. Toffee and vanilla pull off a palate takeover, with lasting flavours of cinnamon bun.
Natural colour | Not chill-filtered | Blended Scotch Whisky First Released: 2024
What Gary Says
Nose: Rich and fruity, peaches, grapes, tangerines, tropical fruit notes of kiwi, candied pineapple and a hint of mango with wisps of heather. Palate: Bright and fruity, pears, peaches, cherries, apricots, creamy vanilla, honey and cinnamon. Finish: Moderately long and creamy with cinnamon, honey and tangerines. Comments: Delightfully fruity without being cloyingly so. Not overly complex but not meant to be – and priced to be enjoyed. I received this not as an industry sample but as a Compass Box fan that signed up for a tasting (which unfortunately circumstances prevented me from joining the live tasting, and while promised a video replay link I wasn’t able to find that anywhere). Both sample bottles were simply labeled N and C, with the teaser ‘Taste the Interesting’. Both were there, and hopefully bode well for the future of Compass Box.
49.3% ABV $130 Website We would like to thank Luxco and BYRNE PR for sending us samples to review.
What the Blender Says
Lux Row Distillers Master Distiller and Master Blender John Rempe renews his annual pact with bourbon drinkers by releasing Blood Oath Pact 11 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Añejo Tequila Barrels. This year’s secret blend features a union of two well-bred bourbons – a 14-year ryed and a 10-year wheated – blended with an impressive 7-year ryed which was finished in barrels that held Añejo tequila. As with all of Rempe’s pacts, Blood Oath Pact 11 is offered at 98.6 proof (49.3% ABV).
Blood Oath Pact 11 will be available for in-person purchase while quantities last starting at 9:30 a.m. on April 26 at Lux Row Distillers in Bardstown, Kentucky. Purchases are limited to one bottle of Blood Oath Pact 11 per purchaser, and no bottles will be held or shipped. Special snacks and sampling opportunities will be available for visitors enjoying the day at the distillery. For fans who are unable to visit in person, a limited supply of 17,000 (3-in) cases of Blood Oath Pact 11 will start arriving at retail in April at a minimum suggested retail price of $129.99 per 750 mL bottle.
Blood Oath Pact 11 combines three of the finest rare bourbons Rempe could find. The blend is elevated further by the Añejo-barrel finish which lends a distinctive complexity and richness to the pour.
“The tasting experience for Blood Oath Pact 11 begins with the warmth of vanilla and black pepper, sweetly infused with spice and oak,” said Rempe. “From there, notes of cherry and citrus subtly emerge, guiding towards a velvety finish highlighted by black cherry and decadent dark chocolate. It’s a gorgeous expression that’s sure to surprise and please bourbon and tequila drinkers alike.”
Although Rempe doesn’t reveal which famous bourbons were used for the Pact 11 blend, it’s no secret his appreciation for aged tequilas helped shape this year’s offering.
“Añejo tequila has delicious and rich notes due to its aging in bourbon barrels,” said Rempe. “By utilizing the Añejo barrels for this year’s Pact 11, we brought our bourbon full circle while picking up all of the best attributes and flavor notes along the way.”
Lux Row only releases one new Blood Oath Pact annually, and each limited edition features a distinctive label on an embossed glass bottle. This year, a mahogany-colored label with gold highlights adorns the Blood Oath Pact 11 bottle. And like its predecessors, each bottle of Blood Oath Pact 11 comes in a commemorative fire-branded wooden display box.
The official launch of Blood Oath Pact 11 will include a total allocation of 51,000 bottles, 1,400 of which will be held for a future Trilogy release. The first Trilogy featuring Pacts 1, 2 and 3, was released in 2018; the second Trilogy featuring Pacts 4, 5 and 6, was released in September 2021 in conjunction with National Bourbon Heritage Month; and the third Blood Oath Trilogy, featuring Pacts 7, 8 and 9, was offered in 2023.
For more information or to find a bottle of Blood Oath Pact 11 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Añejo Tequila Barrels visit LuxRowDistillers.com.
What Gary Says
Nose: Vanilla, grilled corn, orange zest, honey with a vegetal note. Palate: Vanilla, cracked pepper, chili oil, lime, grapefruit and a bit of milk chocolate. Finish: Moderate in length, drying with vegetal notes. Comments: The tequila influence is apparent, and while not overwhelming it does seem to mask the caramel notes one would typically associate with bourbon – especially bourbon with this much age (although not clear how much of the mix the 14 year and 10 year bourbons make up, but even 7 years old isn’t young!) I’m not particularly a big fan of tequila, and while this wasn’t objectionable necessarily it did leave me wanting for more of that caramel I enjoy in bourbon. The grilled corn and vegetal notes are interesting, and definitely something I associate more with tequila.
