
September 27, 2016

Mad new blended malts

No, seriously, everyone just loves what Compass Box and Jon Glaser are doing. I’ve never seen so much goodwill towards a ‘brand’, there seems to be some kind of secret alchemy that makes even the most ‘marketed’ move by them look totally authentic and ‘natural’ (while others, conversely, you know what I mean…) Including, ach, NAS! Yeah I know that that secret alchemy is actually only very smart and hard work, but still, they could launch Bolognese sauce and that would work… Anyway, let’s simply try some of their brand new whisky, and a few others by others for good measure…

Three Year Old Deluxe (49.2%, Compass Box, blended malt, 3,282 bottles, 2016)

Around 1% Clynelish 3yo, 90% ‘considerably older’ Clynelish, and 9% old malt whisky from the Isle of Skye (Ardbeg? ;-)) Of course they’re teasing a few official bodies and whisky Goliaths with this very old (on average) yet legally very young malt. Only CB could do that. Only one question remains, are there 3,282 whisky aficionados out there that’ll get the joke? Colour: pale gold. Nose: some friends have been speaking of a kind of ‘recreation of Brora’, but in that case that would be mid-1970s Brora. It’s certainly very waxy, and certainly only mildly peaty, with mainly ripe green fruits (greengages and those green pears, the name of which I always forget), as well as a little honeydew and this very peculiar kind of paraffin that screams ‘Clynelish!’ Now there are rather fewer tropical fruits than in some, say 1970-1975 Clynelish. Very lovely nose, though. A few bonbons and a little custard. Mouth: more peat, more citrus. Waxed tangerines plus lime juice and perhaps grass juice (like they had in posh juice bars in the not-so-glorious 1980s). Some oystery notes as well – might be that Talisker – and an ashy side. The whole is very fresh, hold on, could it be that it’s actually very young ‘on average’ indeed? After all, four years ARE considerably older than three years, aren’t they? Couldn’t this be the whisky coup of the century? Finish: emphasizes on the citric part. Good length. Comments: as excellent as some excellent Clynelish. In a way, it’s a Clynelish with options. SGP:562 - 90 points.

The Anniversary Dram XO (45.4%, The Nectar of the Daily Drams, blended malt, 2016)

XO, so Extra Old, in Cognac means that the youngest component is a least 6 yo (until 2018 when it’s going to be 10 years, apparently). But I’m sure this is much older, even if the price is fair (around 100 Belgian Euros!) Colour: gold. Nose: very very nice, not unlike some old Glenrothes or even Glenlivet, even if this is more ‘immediate’. Old books, wax polish, honey, apple crumble, and then a very lovely sappy earthiness that adds some extra-dimensions. Mouth: some kind of peat coming through now – but that could be wood spices as well, tobacco, cherry liqueur, propolis, pinesap… Some pepper and even curry and juniper tend to take over on your tongue, but the whole never loses its balance. Solid body. Finish: rather long, really spicy now. Comments: I find it excellent, really full-bodied, feeling more like 50% vol. than 45. Very good composition. SGP:462 - 87 points.

Rich Fruity Sherry 36 yo (44.5%, Cadenhead Creations, blended malt, batch 2, 2016)

Cadenhead are using all available means to please serious whisky lovers these days. Except over-hyperbolic marketing. This baby’s very new, I couldn’t find any pictures yet, so I’ve put WF’s mousers instead. Colour: deep gold. Nose: it’s a kind of more honeyed Nectar – actually it does nose like genuine flower nectar – with an extremely orange-y background that reminds me of some old lightly sherried Dalmores. So a blend of blood orange juice, honey, perhaps pomegranate juice, and perhaps peach juice (as can be nosed from some good young artisan Cognac). Mouth: really very orange-forward, with some Schweppes-like elements, and quite some honey too. Cinchona, Aperol (apologies), quince jelly, figs… I had feared it would be a little fragile, but not at all. There are some oak spices ‘of course’, and I guess one of the casks was really woody, but the blending worked out with glory and deserves medals. Oh and the blood oranges are back after ten minutes. Finish: medium, always with this Aperol-y (!!) side that works extremely well in this context. Comments: mi gusta mucho. Wait, that’s not Italian, is it? SGP:561 - 89 points.

Yula 21 yo (52.3%, Douglas Laing, blended malt, 2016)

I’m totally sorry but this bottle looks plainly ‘WTF?’ Some kind of Nordic goddess or something, with a rather Mexican name, and a design that may appeal to a few people in Taos. Or in Goa. Now we don’t taste labels, we taste whisky, so… Colour: pale gold. Nose: starts Kildaldonian, with embers, a working kiln (rarer and rarer these days when there’s no festival), some candied lemons, and tarry ropes. Gets then ashier, and I’m also finding a little clay and perhaps a touch of fresh mint. And fresh asparagus. Much, much less ‘WTF?’ than the funny label. With water: much more coal tar, Band-aid... Mouth (neat): starts with a rather acrid smoke and a biting pepper, and goes on with more candied lemon. It’s quite sharp and even close to pungent. Something slightly plasticine-y. With water: really very plasticine-y. Candle wax, soot, more tar… Finish: rather long, on more or less the same notes. Tarry aftertaste. And even more plasticine. Comments: rather unusual. At some point you would think there’s quite some wacky Bowmore ‘from that period’ inside. All the rest is pretty perfect, in my opinion. Now where’s my glass of Timorous Beastie 40? Ah, there… SGP:455 - 83 points.

Perhaps a last one… and why not another very funny new one by Compass Box? But first, a long break, because it’s going to be much lighter… supposedly…

Whisky de Table 3 yo (40%, Compass Box, with La Maison du Whisky, blended malt, 2016)

I guess only the French will get it, this one is kind of mocking or mimicking those bottles of cheap no-appellation wine we had in France. In general, Vin de Table Is/was just cheap wine for everyday, without any appellation. In a way, it’s the opposite of a grand cru. Ah this is one cheeky bottling… By the way, it’s another Clynelish-led combo (48.1% Clynelish) with a dash of Caol Ila (around 10%) plus some good fillers. Typical CB recipe. Oh and it’s supposed to be drunk on ice, but of course we won’t (S., you rebel!) Colour: very pale white wine. Nose: very young, with apples and white cherries covered with candle wax and a very elusive smokiness, as if it was ‘Highland’ Caol Ila. Raw barley, perhaps a little porridge. I would not call it new-make-y, but the youth feels. Thinks of ice. Mouth: we’re going towards barley eau-de-vie. Amaretti, custard, barley syrup, apple juice. Less Clinelishy waxes and greases than expected, I guess they wanted to preserve the lightness. Now it’s not vodka! Dreams of ice. Finish: short, barleyish. Apple juice, and just a touch of smoke, it’s almost as if they had added a little cinnamon. Comments: I don’t know, I really don’t know. I love the idea, and it’s probably impossible to do better than this within that idea, but in a way, this is not whisky. It’s good, but not very whisky-like. On the other hand, they wouldn’t have added caramel and boisé anyway… Would 79 points do? Deal? (because as a spirit drink, it’s pretty pretty good!) SGP:431 - 79 points.

Check the index of all blended malts I've tasted so far