Compass Box Menagerie
Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
46% ABV
$120
Website
What the Blender Says
Welcome to the Menagerie.
Whisky is full of life. Scotland especially is home to many different species of spirit, from heavy to light, fruity to smoky, and pungent to ethereal. Certain whiskies taste that little bit wilder than others, and we have brought together some of these strange and beautiful creatures to create our Menagerie.
We have focused on parcels of malt whisky that in addition to their fruity or spicy charms have something animalic about them just beneath the surface. This is a whisky of mossy woods as opposed to floral meadows; Menagerie is what you put into the hipflask ahead of a Tuscan truffle hunt.
Building on chocolatey and meaty malt whisky from the Mortlach Distillery, we have added whiskies of a citrusy and earthy nature from the Deanston Distillery. Our Highland Malt Blend – aged for a number of years in custom French oak barrels – lends a brooding spiciness, while malt whiskies from the Glen Elgin and Laphroaig distilleries bring musky tropical fruit and tarry smoke, respectively.
Rather than a raucous zoo, bringing these specimens together has created harmonious flavours and textures. Gentle notes of spiced honey, toffee and roasted peach are the flavours on which Menagerie’s wild creatures leap and soar.
FLAVOUR PROFILE: Menagerie boasts a complex aroma of baking spices, leather, tar and musky fruits. The palate is engagingly lush with even more fruit, while oily smoke and forest floor notes linger in the finish.
TECHNICAL DETAILS: Natural colour | Not chill-filtered | A limited edition of 7,741 bottles | January 2021
LEAD WHISKYMAKER: James Saxon
What Gary Says
Nose: Smoked barbecue brisket, sea air, peat, old leather, creosote, charcoal ash, lemongrass, nectarines and gentle spices.
Palate: Creamy mouthfeel, rich with dark fruits, plums, berries, peaches, ginger, peat, cinnamon, honey and a bit of lemon.
Finish: Moderately long with peat, dried fruit and pepper.
Comments: Another really solid blend from Compass Box. The nose is pretty smokey, having to work to coax those fruit notes out (or I may just be impatient). Some water helps open those up more. On the palate the smoke and peat take a backseat to some lovely sweet fruity notes.