How does whisky rile you up?

@MadSingleMalt They asked me to keep it to myself, but you wouldn’t be wrong if you guessed that this particular batch ranges in age from 4 to 13 years, with the largest component being 6-7 years old.

@Nozinan Is his name Jeff?

@Nozinan A four letter word starting with J and ending with F?

No comment

@Nozinan Or does it have a D on each end?

@OdysseusUnbound, thanks!

I gotta say, I'm surprised by both the low and high ends of that breakdown. I'm surprised that they're including 4-year-old stuff given that they now release the age breakdowns, and I'm surprised that they're including 13-year-old stuff at all in an NAS blend here in 2017.

I'll keep this in mind next time we all assume that NAS = 100% young. At least some outfits really are hiding some multivintaging behind the NAS label. Cheers to CB!

@Nozinan , @BlueNote , @OdysseusUnbound

So what's up with the Compass Box stuff on ATW you're alluding to? I remember some conversations that swung between "Compass Box is the hero of modern whisky!" and "Compass Box is just serving itself by assuming the role of hero." Is that what you're referring to?

For what it's worth, I'm in that latter camp. I expect the motives (as it was termed above) of 100% of industry players to be "profit." They all just go about it different ways:

•Some churn out maximum product volume for whatever price their marketing strategy will permit them to command.

•Others try to make the best damn product they can to win the dollars of the discerning.

•And others try to win a certain reputation for themselves that earns them business regardless of their products' QPR.

These strategies aren't mutually exclusive, and course there are others too, but I think it's fair to say that Compass Box uses that third strategy.

@MadSingleMalt I think Glaser likes to play the crusading outsider from the new world selflessly taking on the old world establishment. He really hasn't done anything outlandish enough to get himself banished from the establishment, but he has been able to convince consumers that he is their fearless champion. As you say, a good, but not particularly subtle marketing ploy. Bottom line, though, he has been putting out some very good product.

@BlueNote , what would you say their exceptional products are?

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I really like the 2015 Flaming Heart, but that should be a given, considering the recipe they had to work with.

I've found the few other CBs I've tried to be fine but nothing special—though I haven't had a ton (regular Peat Monster, The Lost Blend, I think that Asyla thing).

I'm kinda keen on trying Spice Tree just because it seems to offer something different from what you find in the world of normal single malts.

@MadSingleMalt I thought the Spice Tree was excellent and the Great King Street Artists Blend was very good. I have had Oak Cross and Peat Monster a few years ago and liked them both. Flaming Heart Anniversary Edition is one of the best whiskies I've ever had.

@BlueNote no, no Ds

@BlueNote, a vote for Spice Tree! Duly noted.

Yo @OdysseusUnbound, did Compass Box also tell you what distilleries' malts are in that Spice Tree of yours?

@MadSingleMalt It’s Oak Cross, not Spice Tree, but I think they’re similar. It’s mostly Clynelish by volume. About 70% of it is the 6 Year Old “Highland Malt Blend” (mostly Clynelish, with some Dailuaine and Teaninich) aged in their custom casks (high vanilla toast with the French Oak ends).

Edit: You wouldn’t be wrong if you guessed a total of 87% of my Oak Cross is 6 Years Old (multiple barrel types), 7% is 9 Years Old (multiple barrel types), 4 % is 13 Years Old (high vanilla toast with French Oak ends) and 2% is the 4 Year Old Clynelish (1st fill bourbon barrels). I can neither confirm nor deny this, and I may or may not have heard this from Compass Box, but it would be interesting if it was true.

@OdysseusUnbound , ah—my mistake! Sorry. It gets tricky when these conversations cross pages.

So does it sound like the Spice Tree is (mostly? entirely?) their custom-cask “Highland Malt Blend”—that same ubiquitous ingredient that they seem to splash into all their blends?

@MadSingleMalt Yes, the Spice Tree is entirely their Highland Malt Blend and uses four types of casks: High Vanilla Toast, High Infrared Toast, High Mocha Toast and Standard First Fill American Bourbon. I wouldn't mind trying that one.

According to Glaser, Oak Cross and Spice Tree use the identical whiskies, just aged in different woods.

@Victor That's interesting. I would not have guessed because for me they tasted quite different. It's been a while and I'd like to try them both again.

@BlueNote, all of the major American distillers and some of the major non-American distillers will tell you the same thing: the wood produces 50% of the flavours of the whisky. Not so true for heavily peaty/smokey/briney whiskies I am sure, but true for the basic 'grain plus wood' products which constitute the definition of whisky. I am not at all surprised that Oak Cross and The Spice Tree taste quite different from one another.