Stands Out

Compass Box Great King Street Artist’s Blend

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

Compass Box Great King Street: The Artist’s Blend Blended Scotch Whisky
43% ABV
$40-$45
Website
great_king_street_artists_blend
What the Blender Says:
Great King Street is a new line of craft Scotch whiskies created by the Compass Box Whisky Company for people who love great whisky.

In a world where malt whiskies get all the attention, people often overlook the pleasures of good Blended Scotch. This is the style of Scotch whisky that combines flavourful single malt whiskies with delicate, elegant single grain whiskies. We believe it is time for the world to take a fresh look at this style, and that is why we have created Great King Street.

There are good reasons why the blending of grain and malt whisky has been the mainstay of the Scotch business for well over 150 years. Well-made Blended Scotch whiskies have an elegance and approachability that make them a joy to drink. They are far more versatile than other styles of whisky, equally enjoyable drunk on their own or with ice, soda water, or in cocktails.

Due to the preponderance of poorly made, inexpensive Blended Scotch whiskies on the market, many people assume any bottle of Scotch bearing the term ‘blended’ is somehow inferior. Not if you make it the way we do. With Great King Street we hope to enlighten people to the joys of a well-made Blended Scotch because they open up so many new opportunities to enjoy great whisky.

We believe in transparency. These days, more and more people are interested to know what is in their whisky. Here is a breakdown of the whisky components of Artist’s Blend.

WHISKY (Spirit Character)
A Lowland Grain Whisky (fruity/perfumed) 46%
B Northern Highland Single Malt (malty/fruity) 28%
C Northern Highland Single Malt (grassy/perfumed) 17%
D Speyside Single Malt (meaty) 9%

Here is a breakdown of the wood components of Artist’s Blend.
WOOD (Flavour Impact)
1 First Fill American Oak Barrel (vanilla) 66%
2 New French Oak Finish {New-Headed Barrel} 26%
(Grilled Marshmallow, toastiness, roasted coffee)
3 First Fill Sherry Butt (wine, dried fruits) 8%

What Richard Says:
Nose: As soon as you open the bottle vanilla sugar starts to waft out. Behind the sweetness it is very light, herbal, and delicate with minor sherry notes. After it ssites in the glass a bit an odd mustiness sets in so let it sit too long. 😉
Palate: Finish: The whisky oozes vanilla, floral sweetness, and a creamy buttery mouth feel. Again, as it sits and aerates it changes a bit and a little wood bite kicks in.
Finish: This lingers with long, slow oak, aged tobacco, and tannic bitterness.
Comments: Are you looking for a new blend to tray and deep stocked in your bar? Look no further. This is a delicious and very approachable dram. John Glaser’s desire to create an everyday blend succeeds with flying colors.
Rating: Stands Out

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Bushmills 16 Year

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review /

Bushmills 16 Year
Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Matured in Three Woods

40% ABV
$80-$85
Website
bushmills
What the Distiller Says:
“Well‚ it takes a special dedication to create the Bushmills 16 year-old‚ that and lots of patience. Two whiskies are matured for 16 years‚ one in a bourbon barrel and the other in sherry‚ and then they are married together in a sweet port infused cask. It’s a marriage made in heaven!”
– Master Distiller Colum Egan

NOSE: Aromatic nose with hints of almonds and a nutty sweetness
TASTE: A warm port sweetness on the back of the throat that drifts up to form an almond‚ marzipan fusion with hints of Honey beehoney and praline
FINISH: Deep‚ jammy and dark chocolate.

Recommended Serving:
45mls Bushmills 16 Year-Old. (1.5 oz)
1 Whiskey Glass
A drop of water

What Richard Says:

Nose: It starts out abrupt and a little meaty. From there it is grainy with a heavy focus toward cereal grains. The wood interplay is interesting. It get a heave sherry background that is trying to fight through the port. I’m undecided if it works or not.
Palate: The flavor is clean, mellow, and inoffensive. Rolling it around I get crisp apples, toasted pine nuts, an a cereal back. The flavors aren’t particularly bold but this is ridiculously drinkable.
Finish: It comes on delicate and slow but rather elegant. There is almost no finish at first but the port wood slowly creeps in and guides you out.
Comments: Nose….meh. Everything else….great! This would be a “drinker’s dram” in my book. By that I mean that it is not for those that want to spend the evening with their noses in their glasses waxing poetic. Rather, it is a great dram if yo uwna tto sit with some friends and just enjoy some good whiskey. I also feel compelled to own up to something. This is a dram I had to spend a lot of time with. It is really a mood dram for me. If I’m in the mood I love it and review accordingly. If I force then I don’t respond as well. What you see above is the combination of those two experiences.

Rating: Stands Out

What Gary Says

Nose:  Soft, fruity and floral with with subtle dark fruits, honey, and hint of the port pipe.
Palate:  Sweet, with soft fruit notes, honey, raisins, almonds, praline, bit of chocolate and a slight pepper spice.
Finish:  Moderately long, slightly drying with honeyed fruit and milk chocolate.
Comments:  This is a significant step up from the 10 year. I agree with Richard that this is ridiculously drinkable – although I’ll bet this would be a LOT better at a higher ABV. Still pretty solid in terms of flavor density. When Richard reviewed this in 2014, it was $80 – $85. In 2020 here in Atlanta, this is over $120. It is still a solid single malt – but overpriced in my book.

Rating: Stands Out

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Powers Special Reserve 12 Year

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review /

Powers Gold Label Irish Whiskey Special Reserve Aged 12 Years
40% ABV
$35-$50
Website
powers-gold-label-special-reserve-12-year-old-blended-irish-whiskey-county-cork-ireland-10391165
What the Distiller Says:
Powers 12 Year Old Special Reserve was launched in 2000. It retains the classic Powers’ spicy, honeyed, full-bodied flavour, enhanced and enriched by years of extra aging in carefully selected American oak barrels. It is best enjoyed neat or with a little water.

Nose
Spicy, honeyed, with a touch of perfumed oils, it is full-bodied and flavoursome.

Taste
The familiar taste of Ireland’s favourite whiskey is enhanced by long ageing to reveal a spicy complexity and additional velvet smoothness.

Finish
The velvet smoothness is finished with a distinguishing touch of gentle woodiness.

What Richard Says:
Nose: The nose is light and floral but it has a hearty backbone that foretells the high pot still content. There is also a slight sherry back note as the nose opens up. This one is a little coy and evasive.
Palate: The whiskey is creamy and approachable. It reminds me of a light vanilla custard or honey drizzled yogurt. As it coats the mouth a flavor of overripe pears comes out.
Finish: This is very dry with surprising hit of burnt peppercorns and wood.
Comments: The finish is a little surprising and off-putting on this one. It doesn’t seem to flow from the palate like the nose to palate transition. It is more of an abrupt about-face. This is still a very drinkable and enjoyable whiskey but the finish make syou want to keep drinking to avoid the finish. I’m not sure if that is a good or bad thing.
Rating: Stands Out

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SMWS Cask 93.47

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, SMWSA Whiskies /

SMWS Cask No. 93.47
Campbeltown
59.7% ABV
Distilled April 2002
$??
US Allocation: ??
Valentine’s 2014 Release

What the SMWS Says:
The nose seemed unusual – salted almonds and rice crackers; seaweed, sushi, and Earl Grey tea; smoked sausage, tar, hospitals, garage workshops and farmyards. The unreduced palate was enormous – tar, smoke and ash – big time; also salty liquorice, menthol, Arbroath smokies and the seaweed found in Japanese rice crackers. Adding water brought the nuttiness and sweetness forward on the nose; we also identified flying saucers, soap and dried strawberries. The reduced palate was still interesting but more tamed – vanilla sweetness, tongue-tingling ginger and cured sausage with subtle caraway and mace flavourings. The distillery is owned by the Loch Lomond Distillery Company.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Briny delight. Kind of reminds me of nori with light smokiness and a hint of heather.
Palate: This drinks much easier than it’s proof would lead you to believe. There is a little more of that salty brine, very nutty, and a flavor that reminds me of overly strong black tea.
Finish: This finish clings to the tongue forever. Tar like smoke and sea air.
Comments: Exceptionally interesting. I might not make this a staple in my whisky cabinet but it makes for a very conversational dram.
Rating: Stands Out

Review sample provided courtesy of the SMWSA and is available to society members through their website or 800.990.1991.

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SMWS Cask 48.29

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, SMWSA Whiskies / ,

SMWS Cask No. 48.29
Speyside, Spey
61.0% ABV
Distilled September 1999
$??
US Allocation: ??
Valentine’s 2014 Release

What the SMWS Says:
Powerful sweetness hit the nose to start with. It became set honey, vanilla pods and toffee bonbons and then lavender freshness with herbal notes of thyme and cut grass. To taste it was hot and sweet. The herbal notes were there too along wit orange marmalade bitterness, tobacco and cooling menthol eucalyptus. A good length of finish too. With water the aroma becomes sweeter: baking (pastries, cakes & marzipan), sherbet, lemon icing sugar, rhum agricole, but also an earthy note that took us to summer gardens. Water calms down the taste and offers cake mixture dough, sweet tobacco and orange pith in the finish. From the distillery that is the closest to Grantown on Spey.

What Elizabeth Says:
Nose: Vanilla covered cherry blossoms.
Palate: Orange infused wooden casks wrapped around your tongue.
Finish: Lemon tartness.
Comments: Very refreshing!
Rating: Stands Out

What Richard Says:
Nose: Honey and Greek yogurt, vanilla, and herbal notes. Water brings out more of the herbal, grassy notes.
Palate: Chewy and mildly sweet. Lovely flavor and mouth feel even at cask strength. Apricot and citrus fruit salad. Sweeter with more honey and mandarin oranges with water.
Finish: Clean and very short. There is a quick hint that reminds me of Italian Proraso shaving cream.
Comments: This is an absolutely lovely dram. The SMWS calls it “satisfyingly sweet” and it definitely is. This is the perfect balance of sweetness in a single malt.
Rating: Must Try

Review sample provided courtesy of the SMWSA and is available to society members through their website or 800.990.1991.

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