Compass Box Great King St Glasgow Blend

When the bottle says bold it means bold. Peat on this is very front and when people think scotch this is what I would think of. It, however, does not shine in any category and has a fairly consistent grass, some dry fruit, and lacks brine. Overall I would take this blended over most Johhny walkers.

Great peat flavor but seemed a little one sided to me. Still tough to beat for the price.

Smooth, a little peated, but kind of boring

2019 bottling. A pleasant golden straw with orange hue. Medium weight. Peat controls the nose, but tempered with subtle fruits lingering in the margins waiting to reward those with perseverance. A bit grapey with touches of vanilla. Iodine teases, but remains restrained. Chestnut. Honeydew. Heather. Not overpowering, but not captivating either. Smoke opens - notably more ashy than meaty. Sweet sherry and malt rise up, then are beaten back by the phenols. Cantaloupe. Honeysuckle. Biscuit. Cigarette smoke returns and lingers, which is likely a negative. There are other smokes that I enjoy much more (bring on the applewood!) I had some unfounded optimism that I was surely to "discover" the ideal highball scotch when I purchased this - in my mind's eye: a balanced yet wildly affordable blend in which the peat affirmed one's manliness and the "scotchy" origins while the sherry and more genteel components made it refreshing and quaffable at any time of day. In short, I'm not sure my vision had any realistic basis whatsoever, and this bottle's failure to meet those expectations is 99.5% not the scotch's fault. The peat is far too pronounced for me to have, as yet, skillfully render an elegant and effervescent cocktail. In a stirred alternative it may shine, and assuredly as a neat pour I have few reservations for the price. In the recent past when I could find Laphroaig 10 for $35, I would see little rationale to own this bottle. But while the tariff effect is still in play preventing any single malt competition worth mentioning for less than $50, this bottle knocks the socks off most peated blends. Clean, cohesive, balanced, and little one might find objectionable beyond the cigarette note. You could do much worse.

Nose - baked apple, raisin, fig, plum, sweet peat, brine, honey, pear, ash, vanilla, molasses, brown sugar, dry herbal notes, nutmeg, orange zest, tobacco, cherry, black pepper, smoked meat, chocolate, deep oak, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - sweet peat, salt cured meat, honey, creamy vanilla, baked apple, orange and lemon zest, raisin, plum, pear, black cherry, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, sweet oak, dark chocolate, black pepper, leather, tobacco, ginger, brown sugar, chocolate chip cookie, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium long with sweet peat, dark fruit, black pepper, and salted smoked meat flavors. This is very well blended. The smoky, meaty, briny attributes are balanced nicely with sherried fruit, baking spices, and chocolate notes. The youthfulness is present, but it’s not overly bright or harsh. Interestingly, I’m left with a numb sensation in my mouth after the finish completes. I’m not sure if it’s just me today, or whether there’s something in the blend encouraging that. It’s not unpleasant, but worth noting. This isn’t fantastic, but I like it more than the Artist’s Blend. There’s some slight bitterness in the finish, but I don’t find it as off putting as with its counterpart. I wouldn’t stock this as a sipper, but would have no problem sipping this if it was presented to me. For the price, this is a solid option.

A pretty interesting blend, although not my style overall. Laphroaig apparently makes up the largest component of this, but I like this more than straight Laphroaig as it tempers the seaweedy notes that I dislike. There is peat smoke on the nose and a briny aspect to the taste, but the brutality of the peat is softened with a malty aroma and flavor reminiscent of a hearty loaf of bread. There's a whiff of honey sweetness and some green apple bits in there too but for me this is mostly a mix of smoke and malt. I've enjoyed the bottle over a period of months and it seems like a nice blend with enough punch to keep things interesting, but I don't see myself coming back to it as the flavor profile isn't quite in my line. Still, I can see how if you like this kind of thing, this would be the kind of thing you like. At $40 it's not horribly expensive but not exactly a bargain either.

Aroma: smoke, Peat, Leather Taste: maple, coal, ash Finish: long, spicey