Compass Box Gold Standard
Blended Scotch Whisky
46% ABV
$140
Website
What the Blender Says
In the spirit of artistic collaboration, we had been working with Binny’s Beverage Depot on a whisky for several years, and were delighted to release Gold Standard as part of their 70th anniversary celebrations. The original Binny’s stores, opened in Chicago in 1948, were called Gold Standard. We thought it a fitting name for this collaboration.
NOTE: Compass Box only includes the above brief mention on their web-site; the following details were scraped together from other sources.
Release: April 2018
Availability: Less than 1,000 bottles at Binny’s only
The blend is made up of mainly Clynelish single malt and 28 year old Port Dundas single grain whisky, as well as a small proportion (6%) of teenage Ardbeg and Caol Ila.
What Gary Says
Nose: Rich with dark fruits – raisins, plums, baked apples, a tropical note of coconut husk, pipe tobacco, hints of lemon with a subtle earthy/peaty note.
Palate: Creamy mouthfeel, fruity with raisins, apples, pears; honey, vanilla, bit of caramel, nutmeg, allspice, a hint of peat.
Finish: Long with vanilla and orchard fruit.
Comments: A lovely, complex dram. Exceptionally well balanced. Unfortunately I’m not anywhere near a Binny’s to pick one up. I tasted this during the same round as the Compass Box Rogues’ Banquet, and I liked this damn near as well as that – although this up to $100 less (not that $140 is cheap). Again, value is completely subjective, but if I had $240 to spend – I’d pick up this and put the rest towards another really nice whisk(e)y.