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Compass Box The Double Single 2017

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

Compass Box The Double Single – 2017 Release

46% ABV
$160 – $180
Website

What the Blender Says

‘Less is More’– Anon
How many components are required to create true
complexity in a Blended Scotch Whisky?

For Double Single, instead of using many tens of component whiskies we have used just two – one single grain whisky and one single malt whisky (hence the name). Both are beautiful liquids in their own right, but we believe they are elevated above the sum of their parts when combined in the correct proportions.

Such thinking runs strongly counter to the blending strategies evident in the larger, commercial Blended Scotch releases that dominate the whisky market worldwide, where many dozens of components can often be found within a single blend. So why do things differently?

We believe that when using components of the highest quality, less is often more. That the interaction between a single grain and a single malt can be every bit as good – better even – than either a more complex blend or the component tasted on its own. Above all, share & enjoy.

FLAVOUR DESCRIPTORS
In The Double Single we have combined single malt whisky from the Glen Elgin distillery and single grain whisky from the Girvan distillery. The elegantly complex, ethereal malt whisky character is balanced on a decadent cushion of rich, sweet, vanilla-tinged grain whisky character.

AVAILABILITY
Limited Edition release of 5,838 bottles worldwide. Bottled March 2017.

BOTTLING DETAILS
Bottled at 46%. Not chill-filtered. Natural colour.

RECOMMENDATIONS
The combination is a deeply satisfying yet versatile whisky, perfect served as a rich aperitif before a winter’s dinner, or as a rewarding post-prandial any time of year.

LEAD BLENDER
John Glaser

72% malt whisky from Glen Elgin, aged in re-charred ex-bourbon hogshead
28% grain whisky from Girvan, aged in re-charred ex-bourbon barrels

What Gary Says

Nose:  Thick honeysuckle, vanilla spongecake with baked apples, apricot marmalade, slightly nutty with notes of worn leather.
Palate:  Thick and viscous mouthfeel as the nose suggests, honey custard with exotic orange, fresh apples and cooked pears with a dusting of cinnamon.
Finish:  Fairly long with a bit of spice and vanilla as it trails off.
Comments:  This is a lovely, although nuanced dram. For me, this is one I like to spend some time with, coaxing the different elements out with a couple drops of water periodically.
While the majority of this is malt rather than grain, it has that gentle subtlety that you find with older single grain whiskies (and some older single malts as well). I’ve been a fan of almost everything John Glaser has done, although I generally prefer the more robust offerings. But if you’re in the mood for an elegant, pondering pour – this is pretty delicious.

Rating: Stands Out

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Crown Royal Noble Collection 13 year old Blenders’ Mash

/ / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review / ,

Crown Royal Noble Collection 13 year old Blenders’ Mash

45% ABV
$50 – $60
Website

What the Distillery Says

Crown Royal 13-Year-Old Blenders’ Mash, the third expression in the Noble Collection, is a rare stock of our Canadian Whisky made with a mash bill of 60% corn, 36% rye and 4% barley malt. It is one of the five unique whiskies that comprise our signature blends. Carefully aged in new, charred American white oak barrels for no less than 13 years. The complexity of the liquid intensifies with the aging process, bringing out richer and deeper notes of caramel and fruit. This remarkably smooth and layered whisky is hand selected from our reserve stock, revealing its noble roots with every sip.

The Crown Royal Noble Collection is a series of limited annual releases that celebrates the skilled craftsmanship of our distillers and blenders – and their dedication to the art of creating extraordinary whiskies.

APPEARANCE: Amber
NOSE: Crown Royal 13-Year-Old Blenders’ Mash begins with a nose of orchid fruits, butterscotch with a hint of toasted oak.
TASTE: Crown Royal 13-Year-Old Blenders’ Mash encompasses the taste of rich caramel, vanilla and toffee notes.

Note: The above content was provided after requesting information directly from Crown Royal; not sure why they aren’t bragging about this on their own web-site but do appreciate them providing these details!

What Gary Says

Nose:  Soft oak with rich vanilla, cocoa powder, bits of nutmeg amongst other baking spices, hints of dark fruit in maple syrup.
Palate:  Sweet caramel cremes with vanilla ice cream; a dusting of cinnamon and nutmeg with maple candies.
Finish:  Moderately long, with notes of maple as it fades.
Comments:  If nosing/tasting blind, I absolutely would peg this as a bourbon. It has all of the hallmarks (vanilla, caramel sweetness with some oak) but is unique to be sure. The northern climate this was aged in makes a big difference – as there isn’t nearly as much oak as you’d get in a bourbon aged for 13 years. There also isn’t much of a spice edge. If you like a sweeter bourbon, this is probably right up your alley. If you’re more into an edgy, spicier dram – this wouldn’t be that. For what it is, I think it is delicious, and probably my favorite pour from north of the border in a while.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Powers Three Swallow Release

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review /

Powers Three Swallow Release

40% ABV
$45 – $50
Website

What the Distillery Says

Three Swallow Release is a modern expression of what the original POWERS Whiskey tasted like back in the days of our John’s Lane distillery. This quintessential style of whiskey, Single Pot Still is exclusive to Ireland, and is made from a mash of malted and unmalted barley, then triple distilled in traditional copper pot stills.

TASTING NOTES
Nose: Pot Still spice combines with crisp barley character. Delicate herbs give way to green banana and grapefruit while a nutty note of marzipan reflects the wood contribution of specially selected casks.
Taste: In true Pot Still style, an initial taste delivers smooth mouth-coating barley followed by an eruption of green apple and citrus notes. Herbs and spicy avour are complemented by a touch of cedar wood for extra complexity.
Finish: Spicy sweetness gives way to Pot Still barley character balanced with a hint of sherry and leading to a crisp cereal finish with toasted oak notes.

What Gary Says:

Nose: Rich, sweet malt, mixed fruit (peaches, pears), spongecake, honey, a hint of fresh/green hay.
Palate: Creamy mouthfeel, sweet and fruity, biscuits with honey and pear jam, hint of peaches and cherries, a slight spice note at the back.
Finish: Short, on the damp side with just a hint of spice.
Comments: A sweet, pleasant pour that is a solid representation of Irish whiskey. Beyond the mouthfeel, which I did enjoy, nothing much stood out for me. As is almost a guarantee with an 80 proof dram – I wish it were higher proof.

Rating: Stands Out

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Isaac Bowman Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Port Barrels

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Isaac Bowman Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Port Barrels

45% ABV
$40
Website
Isaac Bowman Port Barrel Finished Bourbon

What the Distiller Says

A. Smith Bowman Distillery finished its bourbon in a variety of port barrels from across Virginia and from Portugal for between three to six months, depending on flavor, before marrying them together to create Isaac Bowman Port Barrel Finished Bourbon. These barrels were made using American Oak and French Limousin Oak, with some barrels originating from Minnesota, Kentucky, Missouri, Virginia, and others. Master Distiller Brian Prewitt tasted these barrels every month to determine the optimum time to be emptied.
Prewitt describes this bourbon as having a dark amber color with a reddish hue.
“The nose greets you with our characteristic cherry and baked apple but supplemented with jammy fruit notes and balanced with the enticing aroma of vanilla, brown spice, and toasted
pecans,” Prewitt notes.
He describes the flavor as “bold and sweet with the toasty notes of French and American oak rounding out to a long smooth finish that pleasantly lingers on the palate.”
A portion of each batch will be held back for blending with the next batch to ensure consistency in flavor and color going forward.
This port barrel finished bourbon is named after Captain Isaac Bowman, the youngest of the Bowman Brothers, who was a soldier and Virginia militia officer in the American Revolutionary War. Isaac was at one point taken as a prisoner of war, but was able to make a historic escape before embarking on a two-year adventure and then returning home to Virginia. He then settled down at Fort Bowman Estate where he became a prosperous farmer and landowner. The Distillery felt it fitting to name this bourbon after Isaac whose great American spirit was evident throughout his life and many adventures.
While Abraham Bowman Port Finished Bourbon was only released once in limited quantities, Isaac Bowman will be offered as an everyday item as part of the Distillery’s standard line of spirits for the suggested retail price of $39.99. Isaac Bowman will launch initially in Virginia only, but eventually spreading into North Carolina and a few additional markets.

What Gary Says

Nose: Spicy dark fruit, stewed dates, figs, plums, raisins, cocoa, molasses, hints of tart cherries, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Palate: Sweet yet a tad sharp with vanilla, milk chocolate, dry nutty port note; bit of water tamps down the sharp edge while amping up the chocolate, nuttiness.
Finish: Short to moderate in length, drying with a slight pepper note.
Comments: The port finish is more prominent on the nose than on the palate, but not overdone in the least. I’m a fan of port-finished whiskey in general (see my favorite bottle I bought in Ireland), and am glad to see more of it happening here in the States.  Of course Angel’s Envy was/is the big label in this niche.  How does this compare to that?  To be fair – I can’t really say, as I don’t have a bottle of Angel’s Envy handy.  I know I enjoy both, and this is a few extra proof points higher (and $10 less).  I’d suggest that if you like Angel’s Envy and port finished whiskies, you’d enjoy this as well (and I’d consider it a ‘Must Try’).  And if you hadn’t tried that yet in part because of the price – here’s a slightly less expensive means to see what you think about bourbon finished in port.

Rating: Stands Out

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Amrut Peated Indian Single Malt Cask Strength Whisky

/ / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review /

Amrut Peated Indian Single Malt Cask Strength Whisky

62.8% ABV
$100
Website

What the Distiller Says

According to Indian mythology, when the Gods and Rakshasas – the demons – churned the oceans using the mountain Meru, a golden pot sprang out of the oceans containing the “elixir of life”. This was called the “Amrut”.  The great founders of our distillery aptly named it Amrut Distilleries.

Amrut Single Malt Whisky Peated is a product of many years of research and development with an aim to produce world class whiskies. This whisky is made from the finest imported Scottish peated barley.

It is carefully mashed and distilled in small batches to preserve the natural aromas and matured in oak barrels in unique tropical conditions at an altitude of 3,000 feet above sea level at Bangalore, the “garden city” of India. To retain the natural characteristics of this oak aged Indian Single Malt Whisky we do not chill filter and it is bottled straight from the barrel in its natural color.

Tasting Notes
Nose: Gristy smoked barley, kippers with a salted butter, peppered bite
Taste: The delivery is youthful and barely reaching puberty then suddenly an intensely malty ascendancy followed by a healthy dose of drier oaks
Finish: A sublime finale for its sheer delicacy and elegance; the peat no more than oozes, there are cups galaore of sugarless medium roast Mysore and finally, as a bourbony trail is discovered, soft liquorice and molassed sugar – easily the highlight of the experience: one of the best finishes of the year

What Gary Says

Nose: Plenty of peat, some exotic wood, musty incense, and tahini candy.
Palate: Thick, earthy with some dark fruit sweetness, plums, dates, molasses, and some spice underlying; bit of water turns up the sweetness a bit more without losing the thick mouthfeel.
Finish: Short to moderate in length, on the damp side.
Comments: On the nose, this is the non-cask strength version simply turned up.  On the palate, the extra proof is bringing more to the party; another great example of why I prefer higher proof drams.  For me, the extra proof brings more complexity and depth, even with some water added.  The peat isn’t as overwhelming on the palate here (still heavy handed on the nose though).  At the price point though, while I like it more it still isn’t something that I’d rush out and buy a bottle of (not without trying first!)

Rating: Stands Out

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