Compass Box
Compass Box is a blender, responsible for creating some of the most intriguing Scotch whiskies around. The company was founded in 2000 by John Glaser, an American who abandoned his studies in order to make wine. After spending time in France and California, an opportunity arose to work for Johnnie Walker in New York, a role that would eventually see Glaser transferred to London. During his time with the giant of blended Scotch, John became frustrated with a lack of innovation and began to pressure his employers to try some new ideas. His pleas fell on deaf ears, however, and he decided to go his own way, creating Compass Box as a platform from whence to explore the potential of blended whisky.
Glaser launched with a blend of grain whiskies that would come to be known as Hedonism. Back then, indeed even now, the idea of a ‘blended grain’ was unheard of but it was perhaps the perfect introduction to the Compass Box ideology that prioritised flavour over tradition. 19 years later the Hedonism blend has its place at the heart of a core range that also includes The Spice Tree, Oak Cross, The Story of the Spaniard and The Peat Monster.
Throughout the years, the experimental nature of Compass Box has seen them run afoul of the Scotch Whisky Association. When it was discovered that the initial release of The Spice Tree was created using ‘inner staves’, a process used to boost the impact of casks in the wine industry, Glaser & co received what amounted to a cease and desist letter, and all surviving bottles were swiftly pulled from shop shelves. More recently, the blender locked horns with the authorities over the decision to broadcast the exact makeup of their blends. Current law states that only the age of the youngest component in a blend can be declared but Compass Box argue that consumers deserve to know what they’re buying and went so far as to campaign for increased transparency within the industry. Depressingly, but not surprisingly, the campaign met with little support and the issue seems to have died a death, for the time being at least.
While it’s understandable that Compass Box often attracts vast column inches for their run-ins with the authorities, it sometimes feels like the controversy can overshadow the most important aspect of their work, which is the quality of their whisky.
Great King St
Taking its name from the address of the Compass Box offices in Edinburgh, The Great King St brand has spawned two whiskies… ‘The Artist’s Blend‘ is a tribute to the master blenders of yesteryear whilst the ‘The Glasgow Blend’ takes inspiration from Aeneas MacDonald’s 1930s book ‘Whisky’ in which he outlines the preferences of the Glasgow-based whisky drinker. Bottled at 43%, it retails at around £35 a bottle.
Smell: Thick Smoke and barbecued meats with lemon and smouldering straw. Sherry in the form of orange peel and chocolate covered raisins.
Taste: Salted caramel, orange zest and warming cinnamon with a touch of dry oak and fiery smoke and ash.
Thoughts: An excellent little dram that comes at a very affordable price.
Though it has been diluted to 43%, the whisky has mercifully not been chill-filtered which makes it immensely drinkable without compromising on the mouthfeel and weight of the spirit.
Compass Box are on a mission to elevate blended Scotch above the all-too-frequent snobbery that demeans it at every turn and here, John Glaser and his team have created a fine dram that would comfortably stand shoulder to shoulder with many single malts. Imbued with deep smoke and luxurious sherry, it is fiery, rich and complex – a lot like Glasgow itself.
For more on Compass Box, click here.
__________
Leave a Reply