Mini Review: Compass Box Great King St Whisky

What is feckin whiskey doing on the net's leading independent rum website? There's a reason, read on, but it's not my fault! Honest...
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How do you rate Great King St. Blended Whisky (five is best)?

5
0
No votes
4
2
100%
3
0
No votes
2
0
No votes
1
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 2

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Capn Jimbo
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Mini Review: Compass Box Great King St Whisky

Post by Capn Jimbo »

Compass Box Great King St Whisky: John Glaser does it again...


We are unashamed and huge fans of John Glaser. Like Richard Seale this gentleman bucked the trends to leave a lucrative career to start his own tiny company dedicated to imaginative, high quality blends. His modus operandi begins in his own head, brainstorming and imagining a profile and only then traveling about to bring fruition to what began as a delicious idea.

Glaser then travels about to the likely suspects - who know and respect him - where he requests, tastes and finally selects the individual barrels that he believes may work. Like da' Rum he then experiments in the dark and wonderful art called blending until his dream - or something even better - emerges. Let's consider what makes Glaser great...


Glaser the Artist...


1. The grain spirit component is a Lowland that is aged in first fill American Oak (adding riichness and vanillans) to create a solid base.

2. The single malt(s) are added in a notably higher proportion that most of what we know as blends.

3. He makes great use of especially expensive cooperage: here small, first-fill American and European oak barrels, and what he claims is unique to Compass Box - first use, heavy toast French Oak.

4. His products are completely free of anything, not even E-150. They are un-chillfiltered, and bottled at a classic 43%.

Last, he believes in complete transparency. Regarding the Great King St. release:
WHISKY (Spirit Character)

A Lowland Grain Whisky (fruity/perfumed) 46%
B Northern Highland Single Malt (malty/fruity) 28%
C Northern Highland Single Malt (grassy/perfumed) 17%
D Speyside Single Malt (meaty) 9%

WOOD (Flavour Impact)

1 First Fill American Oak Barrel (vanilla) 66%
2 New French Oak Finish {New-Headed Barrel} 26%
(Grilled Marshmallow, toastiness, roasted coffee)
3 First Fill Sherry Butt (wine, dried fruits) 8%
Forgive me for comparing single malts and especially John Glaser to the wacky and weird world of rum, but I must. This is exactly why rum has a long, long way to go to become a truly noble spirit.

Sue Sea's Mini Review
"Some of you probably know I'm not a big whisky fan, but I have the highest regard for Jim's love of them. Even so I am able to judge any spirit with sincerity and leave my own preferences out of it. There's even a few I like that may surprise you, like Laphroig 10 (which truly takes me back to the seas and villages of Islay), Pappy Van Winkle's amazing 20 year old and Glenfarclas small distillery 12 year.

All different, but all of the highest possible and memorable quality, complexity and harmony that old brown spirits, including the few pure old fine rums all seem to achieve. They converge.

We were picking up a nice Hawaiian beer called Kona Pipeline that contains a little Kona coffee when Jim spied the Great King St., something he'd long looked for but never seemed to appear, and when it did, at an extravagant price. Total Wine apparently thought the holidays deserved a price of just $34, way less than most of Glaser's products. A done deal for Jim, who will wait until hells freezes over for the right opportunity.

Great King St. has a wonderful fruity nose: peach, pear, vanilla and a tart baked apple sensation. And yes, a bit of unexpected smokiness. All but the smoke carry through, and is surprisingly balanced by a growing cinnamon and white pepper heat and a very long finish which leaves a very long glowing, slightly fruity and vanilla finish and aftertaste. This is the kind of development that makes you go back for more.

All told, the sum of its varying parts is at one time pleasant, surprising and somehow integrated.


Me: John Glaser's Great King St. "Artists Blend" is exactly that. Although Sue Sea was so taken with it that she forgot her usual comments on the bottle, let's say it perfectly expresses its heritage, named after the very old street of the same name in Edinburgh, Scotland,
where Glaser's tiny Compass Box company is located. It is a short necked, slight squat and slightly tapered bottle with old style, hand drawn label featuring "Great King St... Artist's Blend... Non-chill filtered... Natural Color..." and a hand drawn artist's palate.

Perfect.

A sweet vanillan, spice, apple and pear nose. Unlike Sue Sea, I am so spoiled by Laphroig 10 that somehow I didn't get the slight smoke, but I'll give Sue Sea's far superior senses that one. If she says it's there - it's there. Perhaps cooked or baked fruit works. And it is that last element that perfectly expresses the early and middle palates, while the well hidden spice finally slips in through the side door, then takes over the kitchen with a brilliant but not overpowering hot white pepper and apple sweet finish, that leaves an amazingly long, glowing and reflective finish. Come to dram with it and yes, I get Sue Sea's smoky grain and now in spades. It's just so well damn integrated..

This integration of seemingly incongruous elements into a somehow integrated experience is a credit to its creater, Jon Glaser. This has the potential to become one of our very few must haves.

Other than that, it was OK (that's a joke, madmen)... actually, I dare you to buy one!
Last edited by Capn Jimbo on Tue Dec 11, 2012 8:47 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Intrigued

Post by bearmark »

I've been interested in this one for a while... ever since reading Jason Pyle's review on Sour Mash Manifesto. Based on your experience, I just may have to move this one up on my list. In the meantime, I'm still running through the daily drams from my Whisky Advent Calendar, which included Compass Box Oak Cross. It was good, but I'm not sure I would spring for a bottle given the premium cost over the Great King Street Artist's Blend. Thanks for the coverage of this one for us "rum drinkers." :wink:

By the way, Spec's had Compass Box Orangerie on sale, so I picked up a bottle last week. It's a Scotch blend infused with orange zest, cassia bark and clove and it's very enjoyable. If you're a fan of bitter orange, spices and whisky, then I recommend it. It's quite a different experience than an orange liqueur.
Mark Hébert
Rum References: Flor de Caña 18 (Demeraran), The Scarlet Ibis (Trinidadian), R.L. Seale 10 (Barbadian), Appleton Extra (Jamaican), Ron Abuelo 12 (Cuban), Barbancourt 5-Star (Agricole)
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Post by Uisge »

Jeeez Cap'n, it took you long enough to post a review of this! :lol:

Actually, I'm sorry I haven't taken the opportunity to do so, having picked up a bottle not too long ago (early fall, maybe?). I'll try to do so this weekend.

BTW, I'm surprised you didn't throw up a poll on this, and the price you bought it for is about right, I think I spent the same at Bevmo! when I grabbed it.

I would be REALLY interested in sampling the Great King St. New York version that debuted at the Whisky Expo in Noo Yawk in early October, supposedly a little smokier than the regular version.

But it is pleasing to see respect given to blended whisky, especially by John Glaser, who is ever the gentleman, too, having met him twice and shared a few email exchanged back in the early Noughts.
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Post by Uisge »

Great King Street New York blend here for $69.95 :shock:

Image






*******
Capn's Log: which is exactly why, as much as I was interested, I didn't but it until, that is, that I found it at $34.
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Post by Uisge »

Cap'n, with all due respect, the version you (and I) have is the standard Great King Street.
Image

The Great King Street New York version is very limited and not readily available to us outside of The Big Apple, and using the "free" version of Wine-Searcher.com, shows 3 listings starting at nearly $60.00 US to almost $70.00 US while the standard GKS is listed starting at $33 US to almost $40 US, ignoring the half bottles in the listing (and speaking of which, if you make your way to B-21 liquors and Wines int Tarpon Springs, FL, they are listing the 12 half size bottles at $14.99 US per!

You all in Florida have some killer deals, I tell ya :| Yeah, color me envious :mrgreen:
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Post by Capn Jimbo »

I just can't resist Great King Street (Artist's Blend)...

It's been a few years since I've had this, and frankly the bottle is long gone. Recently took a little trip to those wonderful small Indian run liquor stores who (a) have selections that Total Wine can only dream about, and (b) at prices that Total Wine must surely have nightmares about.

I'd forgotten what a truly great blend this is - one that can hold it own, indeed tops many single malts that will never, ever achieve the integrated complexity of a truly artistically blended creation. So when once again - I spotted it, again at $34 - I just had to have it. I'm going back for another very soon.


About notes:

Many distillers include tasting notes on their bottles, often borrowed from reviews, but let's be honest - rarely accurate. Not John Glaser. He describes Great King Street as:

"Soft and full on the palate, with flavors of baked apple, vanilla, spices and toasted oak."

Wanta know something? He is exactly right. This is precisely what I experienced yet again and friends, this is one lovely bottle that will always be on my shelf. In fact, I plan to buy three or four to hoard. John Glaser's Great King Street is a must buy, and a tasting lesson in a bottle.

Please buy one.
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Post by 19Jamie76 »

I am a big fan of the Peat Monster.
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Post by edgarallanpoe »

I have yet to have a Compass Box product that I didn't love. Even their Orange flavored whisky is fantastic.
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Post by Capn Jimbo »

Agreed. I have the Monster, Asyla, Oak Cross, Spice Tree and Great King St. All were at one time purchased in the mid $30's, but no more. Only the Great Kind can be had here for $34.

A true artist.
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Post by bearmark »

Capn Jimbo wrote:Agreed. I have the Monster, Asyla, Oak Cross, Spice Tree and Great King St. All were at one time purchased in the mid $30's, but no more. Only the Great Kind can be had here for $34.

A true artist.
You're really missing out if you haven't had Hedonism. It's got a creamy, fruity taste that is awesome. Of course, it's typically $90+ these days as well.
Mark Hébert
Rum References: Flor de Caña 18 (Demeraran), The Scarlet Ibis (Trinidadian), R.L. Seale 10 (Barbadian), Appleton Extra (Jamaican), Ron Abuelo 12 (Cuban), Barbancourt 5-Star (Agricole)
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Post by Capn Jimbo »

Thanks Bear... yes, that has been the one for which I am in great lust, but the pocket book says no, no, no. But the day may come. Sometime these Indian owners down here network, and I might be able to negotiate a deal...
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