Compass Box Great King Street Glasgow Blend Blended Scotch Whisky
43% ABV
$45
Website
What the Blender Says:
Our Great King Street range is dedicated to applying a contemporary approach to the creation of Blended Scotch Whiskies in the full-flavoured style of the late 19th century blending houses. To this, we lend a 21st century sense of exploration and innovation, for which the Compass Box Whisky Company is known, to create Scotch whiskies that surprise and delight people seeking great spirits.
In his 1930 book “Whisky”, Aeneas MacDonald teaches us that Glaswegians historically preferred fuller bodied and more flavour-packed whiskies than
people in other parts of the world.
So what better name for a whisky such as this? You’ll find here a rich vein of peaty-smokiness, underpinned by sherry cask-aged whiskies, full of dried fruit and wine character. The palate is full and round, with a sweetness typical of whiskies from our company.
For decades, The Wellington Statue, outside Glasgow’s Gallery of Modern Art, has been cheekily topped by a traffic cone, something the local population has taken to heart as a symbol of their sense of humour. It has become one of Glasgow’s most iconic images, and graces our label for the Glasgow Blend.
Flavour Descriptors
Full, rich and smoky on the palate, with notes of baking spices and sherry wine notes.
Recommendations
Perfect for drinking neat, with a splash of water or with ice. You can also enjoy Glasgow Blend with soda water as a classic Highball, or in all manner of cocktails.
Distillery Sourcing
33% Lowland grain whisky from a Fife distillery.
67% Malt whisky from the regions of Islay, the Highlands and Speyside.
The Islay single malt comes from south shore distillery (approximately 20% of the total recipe), vatted with a fruity malt from the village of Brora and a rich sherrried Speyside malt from the Aberlour region (approx. 33%). A small percentage of Speyside and Highland malts complete the recipe.
Wood
A combination of first-fill Sherry casks, first-fill and refill ex-Bourbon barrels and a small portion of new French oak finishing.
Bottling details
Bottled at 43%
Not chill-filtered
Natural colour
What Richard Says:
Nose: This has a lovely rich earthy sherry nose with a balanced undertone of peat smoke.
Palate: Creamy in the mouth with a mellow brown sugar baked apple sweetness that plays with light campfire smokiness.
Finish: Smoky and spicy on the way out.
Comments: There’s a lot going on here. It’s like the culmination of all the scotch fads of the last 15 years. It weaves together in a surprisingly balanced way which speaks to John Glaser’s talent. This is probably my least favorite of the three releases to hold the Great King Street to date name but it’s still a cracking dram worthy of a spot on your shelf.
Rating: Stands Out