Time for another Compass Box whisky review : this time a limited edition of the GKS, but a completely different animal… this baby contains 20% Lowland grain whisky and 80% Malt whisky from the regions of Islay, the Highlands and Speyside. But, (and a big but) A quarter of the recipe is from heavy-peated
single malts, mostly from Islay, meaning we’re dealing with a lot of peat and smoke. Now i did not know that prior to tasting. I did not read any tasting notes or PR about this one, and was very very surprised by the profile as compared to the first version of GKS. As CB usually does, they have also reveal that the whisky comes mostly from first-fill American oak casks combined with refill ex-Bourbon and Sherry casks for additional complexity. A lovely melange. in addition I am told there is a very high Malt / Grain in this one, and it can easily be judged from a few sips. As always this whisky is NCF, and contains NO additional colouring. if you want more info you, visit their site here, lovely presentation.
Compass Box , GKS, New York Blend, 46% , £60.00
Nose: A lot of smoke on the nose with a bit of peat , all this mixed with a lot of sweet malt and sugars. Sherry goodness too and quite a bit of it. Sultanas you say? aye. and hints of ripe orange. Some spice and that’s it. Perfect.
Palate : Oily texture with big smoky notes. BBQ sweetness. Malt and cinnamon with some bacon.
Finish: sweet and smoky.moreish.
I think i like this one much more than the original GKS. A very different animal, and a good example of high end blending with accentuated smoke. I’ve grown accustomed to like CB products, but this one came as a total surprise, and yes, it’s Lovely. I really like it. It’s not very cheap, i know, and for a “blend” but hey, some good blends are worth their price in gold. Thumbs up. if you can get one, do that. it’s supposed to be fairly ‘limited’ as these things go.
I hope to acquire a sample of this stuff too. Sounds good and it would be nice to compare the original to this one! Nice review, mate!
Cheers!
i wish i had a bottle of this one to share. but my sample is gone. i tried it on a few occasions, and liked it. and thanks for the kinds words.
reminds me i have some stuff i need to send over. waiting for a few so it would be 1 box.