SolanaRoots
Compass Box Great King St Artist's Blend
Blended — Scotland
Reviewed
January 21, 2018 (edited March 8, 2021)
Compass Box - the hipster’s blend. Well, that’s just the reputation, this bottle is the Artist’s Blend. It’s a core entry-level offering from Compass Box (alongside its Great King St brethren, the Glasgow blend), but not included in the infamous 5 signature blends sampler. An absolute gem in my opinion.
One of my recent key criteria is drinkability/repeatability since I tend to purchase bottles vs samples or one-off drinks at the local watering holes and this bottle ticks the box perfectly. Reaching for this one regularly before any other in my collection is a good sign. Appearance is super light yellow & nose is a fragrant blend of apples, butter, lemon, and a surprisingly pleasant alcohol aroma. For me, the Artist’s Blend comes alive on the palate. Those apples from the nose turn into Honeycrisp (my fave) alongside some vanilla notes, wood spices, and a hint of smoke way off in the distance. Completely delicious (disclaimer: the light profile a great fit for this balmy SoCal climate).
Rating: Would probably bump the Distiller score up to the low 90s. Rounded up to 4.5 stars based on pure enjoyment. Bonus pts too since I found it under $40 even at the neighborhood store that marks everything up 20-25%. Cheers ya’ll
39.0
USD
per
Bottle
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Completely agree with your hipster assessment @Generously_Paul - my abridged definition was going for “those in the know”...
@LeeEvolved & @PBMichiganWolverine - if you ever take a turn down Instagram road, I came across a pic on the ‘truth_in_whisky’ page from mid-December of the Compass Box office entry. So many bottles I never knew existed but would wager that you guys own or have tried the majority :)
@SolanaRoots , @PBMichiganWolverine - New York blend is completely different than the Artist blend. NYB was limited to just over 1,800 bottles and was only initially available in the NYC area. It’s 46% but about 25% of the makeup is from Islay distilleries. Plus, the current price for the NYB is $75-80 because of the rarity. I hope it’s worth it lol.
Nice review, but I protest the hipster designation. Hipsters are notoriously cheap. They love PBR and not tipping wait staff (or so I’ve been told). CBW is the connoisseurs choice. The hipster would probably gravitate towards Lauders or Clan McGregor
Nice review on one of my favorite whisky purveyors.
And I had no idea the Artist blend was a seperate item. I thought Artist blend was NY blend.
Thanks @LeeEvolved - I had no clue there was a NY Blend. Is that like the long-lost cousin to the Artist & Glasgow blends? Can’t wait to read your trio of reviews.
@LeeEvolved which is the 3rd one? I thought it was only NY and Glasgow.
Great review @SolanaRoots - I just found the New York blend to complete the trifecta. One day I’m gonna do all three side by side. You really can’t lose at that price point. Cheers.
Maybe not my all-time fave Compass Box offering but given the price point, probably the one I’d acquire most frequently.