Compass Box is well known for some of the more interesting blends in the past couple decades, including their Peat Monster and Hedonism. What some individuals don’t know is that Compass Box also offers a truly affordable daily drinking / cocktail scotch in their Great King Street Artist’s Blend.
Great King Street Artist’s Blend
Great King Street Artist’s Blend is a high malt (55%) blend that comes from a one-hundred year old recipe. It is non-chill filtered and has no added coloring. Like many scotches, over 70% of the blend is first fill bourbon barrels, but it also has influence from French oak and sherry barrels. A high amount of the blend is also single malts at 40% of the blend. All of this adds up to theoretical quality, but how does it taste?
Sight: A pale gold fringing into summer corn color.
Smell: The nose starts off with barrels of green apples and pears. Notes of caramel and sugar come through, giving a delightful candied note to the apples. There’s a bit of pie like cooked notes that come through, and are leaning into hints of baked oat crumble.
Sip: The start is smooth and rich as things start out. Warm notes of caramelized apples and baking spices come out off the bat. There’s a gradual lean into cereal notes and more green pears / apples. There’s a bit of nutty vinous note that comes in toward the start of the finish.
Savor: The finish is nutty and laden with apples and cereal grains. The finish coats the palate and continues on, giving a little spice as it goes.
Great King Street Artist’s Blend is a beautiful, yet simple scotch. The flavors of fresh apples and spice compliment richly against the cereal grain elements. Combined with the balanced and lingering finish, it ends up being easy to drink but in no way boring. The final result is inviting and smooth enough to drink on its own, but also stands up to water, ice, or other flavors.
In Cocktails
In a Highball the apples and cereal notes wake up and bring out slight touches of orange. The carbonation and minerals bring forward some of the earthier notes in blend – possibly emphasizing some of the oak influence with a touch of vanilla and spice. The result is super drinkable, and easy going. In a Rusty Nail it keeps the apple and pear flavors at the forefront, while the touches of spice balance well against the herbs and sweetness of the Drambuie. Overall, it works fantastically in both applications, standing up to the strong flavors of the Drambuie while also showing it’s ability to be subtle in the highball.
In Review – Great King Street Artist’s Blend
Great King Street Artist Blend is one our favorite choices for a home cocktail bar due to its ability to work both in cocktails and on its own. The flavors are quintessential scotch, but also refined and elegant. At a price point between $30 and $40, it’s absolutely worth keeping on your shelf. If you haven’t tried Artist’s Blend yet, you’re missing out on a great scotch that’s also a great value.
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