Blended Scotch doesn't need a sales pitch. The hugely popular style – which combines the ingredients of malt and grain whiskey into an approachable whole – accounts for more than 90 percent of all Scotch sales worldwide. In fact, it is the most widely consumed category of whiskey on the planet.
Yet, among a certain subgroup of connoisseurs (read: single malt drinkers), it is constantly derided as. For them, its approachability is seen as a flaw rather than a feature. It can be or be easy to drink or may be worthy of their critical adoration.
The Compass Box is a standout: it does it both ways. Founded in 2000 by Johnnie Walker's former marketing director, the brand's stated mission is to “make the world of Scotch whiskey a more interesting place”. Create this beautiful blend all at once. And this month, the Core Collection adds two new bottlings that even the snobbiest single malt sniffer would have trouble scoffing at.
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The first is Nectarosity, a 92 blended Scotch designed to evoke the aroma and taste of French pastries. As advertised, the nose is like a cinnamon danish. It tastes like brioche, fudge and a hint of wildflower honey. Ultimately, the syrupy richness of the whiskey is reminiscent of what we would expect from a well-aged single malt. To achieve this result, the whiskey makers used a series of virgin charred American oak casks as well as casks seasoned with palo cortado sherry.
While most blended scotches on the market today can't (or won't) disclose the whiskeys used to make them, Compass Box champions transparency. It proudly displays the main grain in its blend – sourced from Girvan Distillery – as well as its star malt: the rich liquid of Clynelish. Nectarosity hits US shelves this month with an MSRP of $65 per bottle.
It's joined by a slightly pricier sibling, Crimson Casks ($75), a true sherry bomb that sings with dark fruit and baking spice. Although this is also bottled at 92 proof, it is a blended malt, not a blended Scotch. The difference is that some maltsters blend their whiskeys without using lighter grain spirits—the stuff self-righteous connoisseurs are forever complaining about.
The other two bottlings in Compass Box's Core collection, the unapologetically smoky Peat Monster and the autumnal fruity Orchard House, are also blended malts.
Meanwhile, you'll find plenty of other blended scotches in the Compass Box portfolio. She never shys away from style. And any kind of Scottish fan should never shy away from exploring them. As this brand goes out of its way to deliver on its promise of a more “interesting” Scotch, fans may open up to the same simply by acknowledging the beauty of the blend.
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