Compass Box Great King Street Glasgow Blend

Compass Box has just released a second permanent edition of its Great King Street blends on the market, this time with a red label, named ‘Glasgow’. This blend consists for 67% of Islay malt (Laphroaig), Highland (Clynelish) and Speyside (Benrinnes) and 33% is grain whisky from the Lowlands (Cameronbridge). It is a marriage of first fill sherry casks, but also refill bourbon barrels and finished on new French oak. According to John Glaser, the genius behind Compass Box, no less than 100 recipes were tested before this Glasgow came about.

On the nose, it is peaty from the get go, but not over the top. It is nicely balanced by the sweetness of the sherry casks. Loads of citrus and sultanas as well as some red berries. Cinnamon and vanilla douse the peat further, but the Laffie in the mix is unmistakable.

It has a light body, but is spicy from the start. Some earthy notes, pepper and peat call the shots. The second wave is sweet from the fruit. Halfway through the French oak kicks in, making it somewhat dry.

This continues in the surprisingly long finish: spicy and dry with some sweetness in the background.

Good blend from Compass Box, certainly. But a bit too light to be absolutely great. But then, with that pricetag, it is not something they are aiming at.

Find where to buy Compass Box whisky