Compass Box vs SWA

This is really a weird SWA rule and I am keen to learn the reason/driver behind it. Perhaps the rule should be reviewed to ascertain if it is still relevant in this day and age.

Anyway, good on ya mate for standing up to what you believe in.

I think the SWA has their hands tied by an EU regulation that the UK signed on to.

There is enough to complain about the SWA so that we don't need to blame them for "making" this rule.

That being said, it is disingenuous to say it's an EU rule and yet enforce the rule with such gusto. The SWA seems to have it in for Glaser and Compass Box.

If they would give you all of their recipes (including Peat Monster) then theoretically it would no longer be NAS and the NAS boycott (see allthingswhisky.com ) would no longer apply to Compass Box.

Wow, what a stupid rule. What could possibly be the harm with divulging the specifics of a blend?

surely there are industry lobbyists at work here.

Idiots gonna idiot.

I'll bet some of the heavy hitters don't want to publish that information if they think they will not look good on comparison of those details. Don't want to allow a smaller company that can afford to work the recipe info as a competitive advantage from a marketing standpoint.

This is very wrong. SWA is in bed with the big multi-nationals to protect their NAS push. SWA has applied a rigid code of law to be a pain in the ass and discredit an honest player in the industry.

@Nozinan

That is true too, I still recall Glaser's run in with the SWA from the inaugural Spice Tree (or was it Oak Cross) days. To be honest, that was one one of the better vatted malts out there at that time.

what is the breakdown off ownership at Compass Box? I believe I read a while back that Bacardi bought in recently, but who else is involved. They make good products and this is a poor decision but CB clearly has some considerable backing.

@NAV26 Bacardi has a minority stake in CB since they signed on as long-term suppliers to them earlier this year through the John Dewars & Sons portfolio. Here's the link to that article.

thespiritsbusiness.com/2015/04/…

@MaltActivist, thank you for the link, this was the article I read a while back. I believe Bacardi has adopted a craft presentation for their whisky portfolio. The line that stuck out for me and the reason I made my comment yesterday was "Glaser added that the arrangement would not affect its existing supply contract with Diageo."

In my opinion, Compass Box consistently makes good/excellent products that I enjoy, and SWA should move in a different direction regarding transparency on age statements that it is truly what is important here.

But if we are taking about transparency, I don't think Compass Box is the little guy in this story up against the big bad industry that wants to hurt them. In my mind CB is an enterprise that at some point associated with big industry actors who were convinced that they were a good investment and could serve a niche market within the industry. Next question where did John Glazer work before Compass Box?

I once heard that bottlers could work around this rule by listing the year of distillation and bottling. Anyone know if that is true? If it is, I wonder how much harder it would be to list that information.

This is typical bureaucratic bullshit.. I for one think compass box should be applauded for what they did.. I also published the info in my review.. I was also asked to remove the information on the years involved in the creation of the Glenrothes vintage reserve as it went against the SWA rules.. This is utter crisp in my opinion.. ocdwhisky.wordpress.com .

Interestingly, no one has complained about The Tweeddale providing more detailed information about the ages of the whiskies that go into their blends: tweeddalewhisky.com/whisky/

@YakLord Maybe no one noticed yet.