Compass Box Great King Street Artist's Blend Whisky 43%

Wine information: Compass Box is a small independent specialist Scotch whisky company, devoted to making some of Scotland’s premier whiskies through the art of blending. Similar to fine wine negociants, they choose individual casks of whiskies from different distilleries, which offer complementary sets of flavours, and then blend the whiskies in small batches. Their whiskies have unusual names and the labels are contemporary in style; it’s all part of their vision: take a contemporary approach to a traditional product. 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 will offer 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 a 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. For those of you who really like to know what is in your whisky, GKS is a blend of the following Lowland Grain Whisky (fruity / perfumed) 51.4%, Northern Highland Single Malt (malty / fruity) 23.2%, Northern Highland Single Malt (grassy / perfumed) 17.7% and Speyside Single Malt (meaty) 7.7%. This is then aged in a combination of different woods First Fill American Oak Barrel (vanilla) 62.3%, New French Oak Finish (New-Headed Barrel) 27.7% (Grilled Marshmallow, toastiness, roasted coffee) and First Fill Sherry Butt (wine, dried fruits) 10.0%. John Glaser says, "as well as being delicious neat, Great King Street is equally enjoyable drunk with ice, as a refreshing Highball with soda water and ice, or in cocktails. One of the wonderful things about a whisky highball is that it slips down as easily as beer.  This gives us whisky lovers a refreshing whisky-based drink for all sorts of different occasions - at the bar with friends after work, on a warm day, parties, receptions, even with food (particularly Asian food). We believe it is time for a renaissance of the Highball.”

Tasting Notes: Compass Box Great King Street Artist's Blend has a sweet and creamy nose with aromas of apples, pears, cereal notes, vanilla and spicy, toasted oak. The palate is, again, creamy and soft and smooth. There are flavours of cinnamon, raisin, Christmas-sy spices, and more apple and vanilla characteristics. The finish is rich, spicy, sweet and fairly long. Very easy to drink.

 
     

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