Compass Box
The Spice Tree
70cl / 46%
Highland Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
Compass Box
A vatting of northern Highland distilleries (principally Clynelish), the whisky is aged in barrels with heavily toasted heads, adding a rich spiciness. Flavour Descriptors: Big, sweet aromas of clove, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. The palate is full, round and sweet, with the spice and vanilla complementing the core distillery characters and leaving a long finish. Recommendations: Its rich, bold flavours make it most suitable for after-dinner sipping, as an accompaniment to certain cheeses, and ideal in cocktails. Distillery Sourcing: Sourced entirely from northern Highland single malt distilleries, primarily malt whisky distilled at the Clynelish distillery. All 10 to 12 years-old. Wood: Primary maturation: First-fill and refill American oak. Secondary maturation: Custom barrels with heavily toasted new French oak heads sourced from 195 year-old Vosges forests. Bottling Derails: Bottled at 46 % alcohol by volume. Natural colour. Not chill filtered. Compass Box er en lille progressiv uafhængig whiskyaftapper, som er drevet af kærlighed og lysten til at frembringe og vise de bedste sider i skotsk whisky. Compass Box har en intuitiv tilgang til whiskyfremstilling, eller nærmere whiskyforædling af traditionelle whiskytønder og videreudvikling af gamle konventioner for hvordan whisky skal aftappes. Altid med for øje at, tilføre et ekstra lag af lækre og delikate duft- og smagsindtryk. Compass Box arbejder udelukkende med de bedste lagrede malt- og kornspiritus fra Skotlands bedste og mest anerkendte destillerier. Forskellige typer egefade af højeste kvalitet er byggestenene i firmaets mange unikke aftapninger – altid med det for øje at frembringe whiskyer med stor rigdom, balance og renhed i duften som i smagen. Tilgangen er minutiøs og har karakter af, at være håndværk med sans for detaljen frem for industri. Dette anerkendes i det væld af udmærkelser og positiv omtale som Compass Box whiskyerne har opnået gennem sine kun 10 års historie som lille innovativ uafhængig whiskyaftapper. Compass Box Great King Street NYC Blend (46% ABV) John Glaser's first regional variation of Great King Street has a higher malt content and more smokiness, and is meant as a throwback to the whiskies of 80 or 90 years ago. The nose is intense with a nice smokiness, hints of dried apples, peaches, and honey, with a touch of maltiness. The taste is smooth, but with a powerful peaty smokiness balanced well with honey, apple, peach, and cinnamon notes. The finish is smoky with a good long cinnamon touch and hints of honey underneath. Outstanding! 93 Points – The Whisky Bible 2013 Here’s what Jim Murray thought of this wonderful blended Scotch whisky. Great King Street Artist’s Blend – 93 Points Nose 24: Now there’s a way to start the day. Stunningly enticing with every nuance of the delicate young barley laid bare. A light coating of bourbon oakiness is enhanced by the scrumptious cinnamon apple pie Taste 23: Even as a hardened pro, I find it is difficult to spit this one. The delivery is firm, juicy and compelling; few blends these days are half so salivating! The grains try not to hide and weigh in with some lovely cocoa and bourbon stratum, allowing the barley to spread the grassy freshness gospel; good weight throughout. Finish 22.5: Just a slight fault here: a little milkiness from a tired bourbon cask, a distant echo on delivery now makes itself heard, but has the good grace to remain in the background as the spices and late Demarara and liquorice notes hold court. Overall balance and complexity 23.5: The nose of this uncoloured and non-chill filtered whisky is not dissimilar to some better known blends before they have colouring added to do its worst. A beautiful young thing this blend: nubile, naked and dangerously come hither. Compass Box’s founder John Glaser has done some memorable work in recent years, though one has always had the feeling that he has still been learning his trade, sometimes forcing the issue a bit too enthusiastically. Here, there is absolutely no doubt that he has come of age as a blender.
Smagsnoter fra www.whiskyflasken.dk:
Næsen: Det første indtryk jeg får er krydret honning og bivoks. Derefter kardemomme, karamel og muskatnød. Der er en grund til at den hedder The Spice Tree. Den er også ret maltet og der er noter af chokolade sammen med nogle bær i form af jordbær og hindbær. Glasur, mandariner og kanel. Virkelig en dejlig og indbydende næse.
Smagen: Jeg synes at det er de søde røde bær, som ankommer først. Derefter noget som minder om vaniljecreme og en masse lys chokolade. Lidt peber, som bliver til kanel og prikker lidt. Karamel og honning. Dejlig fed fornemmelse i munden og selvom den bliver mere krydret med tiden, så forsvinder sødmen aldrig helt.
Eftersmagen: Lang og krydret eftersmag. Kanel, malt, chokolade og en lille smule tobak.
Karakter: 87/100
