Compass Box Great King St, Artist's Blend, Blended Scotch Whisky (43%)
Critics reviews
Sweet. Lemon barley water, honey and cut grass. Hint of grain? Certainly has that limey scent of high alcohol. American cream soda, apple pie and with water, mace and vanilla.
Palate
Sweet. Lemon barley water, honey and cut grass. Hint of grain? Certainly has that limey scent of high alcohol. American cream soda, apple pie and with water, mace and vanilla.
Finish
Smooth and gentle.
Comment
Exemplary blending. Try with soda or on rocks.
Dave Broom - Whisky Magazine Issue 98 Nose
Plenty of vanilla up front, then this glorious lemon note. Key Lime pie and baked New York lemon cheese cake come to mind. A hint of cimmamon and oak too.
Palate
Has a very moreish creamy feeling to it that is then cut through with a zing of gingery lemon. Vanilla custard, and a certain nuttiness follow.
Finish
Long enough to contemplate pouring another dram.
Comment
Perfect balance and a great addition to the blending world.
Rob Allanson - Whisky Magazine Issue 98
About this SPIRIT
Compass Box Whisky
Compass Box is the brain child of American John Glaser whose passion for whisky has led him to try and take Scotch whisky to another level. He is considered to be one of Scotland's most innovative and acclaimed whisky makers and concentrates on making small quantities of Boutique whiskies in a variety of styles.
John Glaser buys his casks individually; he feels that this attention to detail is what sets his whiskies apart. He firmly believes that chill filtering is not required as it strips out the flavour and richness from the whisky. Colouring is not added to any of his blends and he relies purely on the natural colour of the whisky to speak for itself. Another factor that sets Glaser's whiskies apart is the meticulous selection of top quality wood used in the actual casking. He chooses exclusively American oak, much of it "first fill bourbon barrels" as it lends the whiskies a sweetness that is the basis for the house style at Compass Box.
Blended Whiskies
Blended Whisky is made from a blend of whiskies from different distilleries. Ireland, Canada, Japan all produce blends, yet the most renown manifestation of this whisky type comes in the form of Blended Scotch Whisky. The term denotes a blend of one or more Single Malt Scotch Whiskies with one or more Single Grain Scotch Whiskies from different distilleries.
The typical proportion is 60% grain to 40% malt. The degree of complexity and smoothness in the final blend depends on the percentage of malt. Each whisky used in the blending will normally have been matured for about 5 years, although many other longer-matured versions are also available on the market.
The term should not be confused with Blended (formely known as Vatted) Malt Scotch Whisky, which comprises only Single Malt Scotch Whiskies (100% barley), which have been distilled at more than one distillery.
The practice of blending Scots malts trace its origins back to the Victorian times. The original family-run distilleries did not have bottling facilities. They used to sell whole casks of whisky to bottlers, blenders and merchants who then combined the product of various distilleries, to craft a consistent "brand style".
It is still true that a significant proportion of the malt whisky produced in Scotland is used in Blends, which constitute a large share of the market, although the recent trends in the whisky trade have brought Single Malts into prominence. Important style ambassadors include Bailie Nicole Jarvie, Chivas Regal, Dewars, Haig, Whyte & Mackay, Bell's Whisky, Compass Box, The Famous Grouse, Langs, Black&White (Buchanans), Cuttty Sark, Johnnie Walker, Stronachie
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
Great King Street is the brand new mission from Compass Box; a mission to get people to rediscover the joys of Blended Scotch. Bottled at 43%, Great King Street offers a style and approach to Blended Scotch that has not existed before: using a high proportion of malt whisky (about 50%), truly excellent quality grain whiskies, and the careful use of new French Oak aging for added complexity. All bottled at natural colour and without chill-filtering. The style is rich, round and fruity with hints of toasty oak, vanilla and spice. The name and label are inspired by Compass Box's registered office address - 24 Great King Street, in Edinburgh.
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