Scottish Whisky

Compass Box Vellichor

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

Compass Box Vellichor
Blended Scotch Whisky

44.6% ABV
$400-450
Website
Compass Box Vellichor Blended Scotch Whisky

What the Blender Says

Vellichor, n – the scent of second-hand bookshops

On discovering this marvellous new word, we began a quest to recreate the fragrance using Scotch whisky. Parcels were considered, identified and pursued. The process can be compared to scouring second-hand bookshops for specific volumes.

Our search met with success when a distiller and bottler in the north of Scotland offered us casks of whiskies which had been blended together in the past, before being returned to ex-Sherry butts for further maturation. Whiskies, like old books, contain their own stories.

We combined these Sherry-matured stocks with bold and mature malt whiskies from the Macallan, Highland Park and Caol Ila distilleries. The aroma is highly evocative for anyone with a fondness for books; the taste evolves and intensifies as any good political thriller or historical romance should.

A tribute to the storytelling potential of blended Scotch whisky, and the atmospheres of our favourite book stores.

FLAVOUR PROFILE
Hints of leather, polished furniture and the crackling dustiness of decades-old pages on the nose. The palate is stacked with sumptuous malty notes, tropical fruit and Sherry character, with a delicate but
persistent peatiness.

SERVING RECOMMENDATIONS
The late whisky writer Michael Jackson recommended some whiskies be enjoyed “with a book at bedtime”. This is one of those whiskies.

TECHNICAL DETAILS
Bottled at 44.6% ABV | Natural colour | Not chill-filtered
Blended Scotch Whisky
A limited edition of 3,246 bottles; January 2022.
LEAD WHISKYMAKER: James Saxon.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Leather, candied dark fruit notes of plums and raisins, passionfruit, kiwi, grapes, apple, wood polish, pipe tobacco smoke, soft mulling spices and a hint of underlying peat.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel, sponge cake with buttercream frosting, cherries, peaches, apples, dates, coconut, nutmeg, bit of ginger, subtle peat and smoke.
Finish:  Long and damp, fruity with tobacco, honey, fruit and a hint of peat.
Comments: A really delicious, complex, balanced and lovely dram with some fruit, sherry, bit of spice, peat and smoke. This definitely has that ‘old library’ aroma that brings thoughts of sitting in an overstuffed, worn out leather chair in a smoke filled, wood paneled lined room – which I’ve only encountered with well aged Scotch whisky.  With over 95% of the components being 23-26 years old (with a splash of some 37 year old Caol Ila), this has the age – but it would be a mistake to think it is simply a function of age. The combining of well aged stocks in just the right proportions takes a deft hand (and better nose and palate!) and few do it nearly as well as Compass Box. I wish this ABV was a bit higher, but it has a lot of intensity where it is at – and losing ABV is a risk with older parcels as well (had Compass Box waited a bit longer, they might not have been able to bottle some of it as whisky – which sounds like just the sorta tricky thing they’d pull – maybe a “This is not ultra aged whisky” with some 40 yr old “former whisky” casks that dipped below the 40% mark?).

Rating: Must Try

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Compass Box Experimental Grain Whisky

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

Compass Box Experimental Grain Whisky
Blended Grain Scotch Whisky

46% ABV
$150
Website
Compass Box Experimental Grain

What the Blender Says

A grain whisky that’s only a pot still away from being a single malt

A grain whisky made only from malt? That’s also smoky? Paradoxical spirits are something of a calling card for the whiskymakers at Loch Lomond Distillery who operate their site with seriously open minds. We managed to source some of their peated, Coffey-distilled whisky to create a blended grain with a difference.

Experimental Grain Whisky is in many ways the alter ego to Hedonism, our signature expression. The smoke notes that the Loch Lomond parcel bestows are unlike anything we have used before: herbal, moss-like, clinging.

The majority of Experimental Grain Whisky is comprised of grains from the Cameronbridge and North British distilleries. They bring notes of fudge, vanilla and set honey. On top of this the younger whisky from Loch Lomond layers impressions of pine forests and patchouli oil.

Experimentation abounds throughout Scotland. For those who thought grain whisky was by default light and creamy, think again.

We have used a special parcel of whisky made at the Loch Lomond Distillery from peated malted barley, distilled in their copper Coffey still. Despite this being 100% malted barley, the use of a column rather than a pot still during distillation means this cannot be classified as a single malt – it is the perfect spirit around which to build a unique blended grain Scotch whisky.

FLAVOUR PROFILE
An appetising aroma of contrasts: banana and toffee mingle with soft, savoury barbecue smokiness and hints of rum and raspberry. Enjoy a soft and oily palate of almond and vanilla before a curiously delicious flavour of burnt pine cones develops.

SERVING ECOMMENDATIONS
A whisky for those rare downpours accompanied by bright sunshine, and other paradoxical phenomena. A splash of room temperature water will lift the unique smoky notes.

TECHNICAL DETAILS
Bottled at 46% ABV | Natural colour | Not chill-filtered
Blended Grain Scotch Whisky
A limited edition of 6,142 bottles; December 2021.
LEAD WHISKYMAKER: James Saxon.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Tropical fruit, coconut, peach, vanilla, grapes, white chocolate, sandalwood, pine, subtle peat with a mineral note.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel, fruity with honeydew, apples, coconut, malt, vanilla, hint of caramel, peat with a bit of pepper.
Finish:  Moderately long with honey and melon.
Comments:  Nice, pleasant, gentle, nuanced, layered, balanced – what you hope for, and often get with Compass Box. Few drops of water brings out more pine on the nose and more honey on the palate, and thickens up nicely as well.

Rating: Stands Out

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Compass Box No Name Vol 3

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky / ,

Compass Box No Name Vol 3
Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

48.9% ABV
$130 – $150
Website
Compass Box No Name Vol 3

What the Blender Says

Vibrant and expansive, wild yet graceful peatiness
Our series studying heavily-peated malt whisky reaches a somewhat OTT crescendo with this, the third and final No Name.

Since 2017, we have used the same recipe structure to explore different smoky double acts. Whether it was the crème-brûlée-on-freshly-laid-tarmac effect of the inaugural release or the bonfire-in-a-cherry-orchard style of No Name, No. 2, fans of the series have been treated to radically different expressions of smoke.

No Name, No. 3 marks a further point on the spectrum of peat. It is older, wilder and weirder than the previous No Names. Seaweedy and barbecue-scented single malt from the Laphroaig Distillery takes top billing, with malt whisky from the Bowmore Distillery lending compelling hints of mango and pineapple at the very limits of ripeness.

Seashells and sage; pineapple and allspice; smoke that moves in oily waves. This is the perfect whisky for introducing a little drama to proceedings – and a fitting conclusion to our peaty trilogy.

The final whisky in the No Name series champions seaweedy peatiness from the Laphroaig Distillery, enriched by succulent fruit and smoke from the Bowmore Distillery.

FLAVOUR PROFILE: Even fruitier than No Name, No. 2, and almost as smoky as No Name. The peat character is more medicinal than No Name, with a beautiful heathery and tropical fragrance.

A limited edition of 10,794 bottles. July 2021.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Mossy sea air, peat, coastal campfire, subtle fruit notes of peaches and pears, earthy, cracked pepper with a hint of smoked meat and fish.
Palate:  Thick mouthfeel, peaty, vanilla, subtle fruit with pears and mango, smoky with a hint of grilled pineapple and more savory, herbal spices.
Finish:  Moderately long and drying with peaty pepper, smoke and honey.
Comments: I didn’t have this to try alongside No Name Vol 1 or No Name Vol 2, but this didn’t seem to strike me as well as either of those for some reason. It is a very nice peaty and smoky dram, with layers of complexity. I suppose with any lineup, one has to be last even if all were very good. Looking back at my notes, I’m not sure I got ‘more’ fruit here as they described. It does open up nicely with a bit of water, bringing more vanilla cream and fruit on the palate.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Springbank 19 yr Single Cask

/ / Campbeltown, Review, Scottish Whisky / ,

Springbank 19 yr Single Cask
Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky

57% ABV
$250-$300
Website
Springbank 19 yr Single Cask Single Malt Whisky

What the Bottle Says

Distilled: May 1997
Bottled: October 2016
Cask Type: Re-Charred Sherry
No. of Bottles: 438
An exclusive bottling for Pacific Edge Wine & Spirits

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich and intense, dark fruit, stewed plums, raisins, hint of pineapple, cloves, nutmeg, earthy funk, pencil eraser and sea air.
Palate:  Thick and chewy, dark fruits, black currants, raisins, dates, cloves, nutmeg, earthy/salty note and pepper spice.
Finish:  Moderately long, peppery with sea air and fruit.
Comments:  Classic Springbank. Intense flavor with a magnificent balance of sweet, savory and earthy – just spectacular (if you like that sorta thing). Water brightens the dram up with the fruit taking more of a citrus slant and still maintaining the lovely mouthfeel. It feels pricey to me, except that seems to apply to damn near everything 18 or more years old these days – so accepting the fact I’m likely just becoming a cheap curmudgeon. I just can’t imagine buying this, and being disappointed after the fact.

Rating: Must Try/Must Buy

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Talisker 18 Year Single Malt Scotch Whisky

/ / Island, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Talisker 18 Year Old
Single Malt Scotch Whisky

45.8% ABV
$145-$190
Website
Talisker 18 Year Single Malt Scotch

What the Distillery Says

Produced at the oldest distillery on the Isle of Skye, Talisker Single Malt Scotch Whisky has been made by the sea since 1830, with its smell and taste instantly connecting you to its rugged maritime home. Every sip is a taste of the Isle of Skye itself, one of the most remote, windswept yet beautiful landscapes in Scotland. With wonderful sweetness and warmth, intertwined with just a thread of smoke, Talisker 18 Year Old is an award-winning whisky that is rich and soft but still assertive. Named the ‘Best Single Malt Whisky in the World 2007’ at the World Whiskies Awards, Talisker 18 Year Old is a single malt masterpiece. Talisker 18 Year Old makes a perfect gift for connoisseurs looking to explore new depths of flavour amongst smoky island single malt whiskies.

Serving Suggestion: Best enjoyed neat or add a splash of water or ice to reveal rich notes of plum, orange peel, and toffee.

APPEARANCE: Amber.
BODY: Full bodied, pleasant and smooth.
NOSE: Rich and fruity Victoria plums, greengages, perhaps dried orange peel with some butterscotch or rum toffee and a thread of smoke behind.
PALATE: Sweet in front, then more assertive, with a whiff of smoke. The overall effect is warming. The development is towards smoke, coal-tar, and toffee.
FINISH: Medium length and chilli ‘catch’ in the finish.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Thick, rich and smoky, dark fruits, peaches, kiwi, grassy, honey, smoked brisket, hint of balsamic and worn leather.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel, sweet with honey, fruit, peat smoke, savory spice notes.
Finish:  Long, damp with fruit, pepper spice and subtle peat.
Comments:  I’m a fan of Talisker, and this only reinforces that – a delightful, wonderfully balanced dram with peat, smoke, fruit and savory notes. I could nose this for hours, if it wasn’t so delicious to sip. This is a pour where giving it time in the glass is worth the wait. “They” say to give an aged whiskey 1 minute in the glass for every year on the label. I don’t have that kind of patience, but think I made it a solid 10 minutes, and it was definitely better than when freshly poured.

Rating: Must Try

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