Jan. 11: Online Tasting with Compass Box's Head Whiskymaker James Saxon......
Fellow Drammers!
We’re excited to announce a special online tasting with Compass Box’s new Lead Whiskymaker James Saxon on Saturday January 11th, starting at Noon Pacific / 3pm EST in the US and 20:00 in the UK, where James will be joining us. We have long been enormous fans of this ground-breaking whisky company, and in the last year alone, we were proud to welcome them as headliners at our annual gathering of the members in Chicago (“The Drammening”), as well as hosting James Saxon for in-person events in NYC and Austin, etc. and we have veen talking all year about hosting a major online tasting to do a true deep-dive into all things Compass Box.
This is a particularly exciting time to check in with them — after founding Compass Box in 2000, John Glaser remained as the head of the company for 23 years until a surprise announcement that he was stepping down in February of 2024 and that the new lead whiskymaker would be his protege of sorts, James Saxon (our guest speaker). James had joined the company in 2019 as an Assistant Whiskymaker, and worked closely with Glaser, and played a lead role in creating some of the bigger limited edition releases in the last couple years, so it was not surprising to hear that in the wake of Glaser’s departure, James would be stepping up to the lead role. Since then, Compass Box has truly transformed itself, removing three products from their core range (Story of the Spaniard, Spice Tree, and changing Hedonism from a core range product to a limited once-a-year offering). They also discontinued their single barrel program, what they called their “Single Marrying Cask” series, and we were proud to get the very last cask in the US from the program before they stopped it (an iteration of their “Glasgow Blend” which was finished or “married” in an ex-Cameronbridge cask). Then, in September, they launched two new expressions as part of their revamped core range — Crimson Casks and Nectarosity. Now that they’ve got a new strategy seemingly mostly in place, it would appear to be the perfect time to have a sit down with James to find out what their plans are for the future.
So, naturally, at this online tasting, we’re going to be trying all these expressions. Your tasting kit will come with 10 expressions total, including two of their most recent high-end releases, a brand new limited edition release and two older long-sold-out-expressions. Here’s the full lineup:
Celestial. The 4th and final release in their Extinct Blends Quartet, this is said to be inspired by a famous blend from the 1960s. It is the peatiest of the quartet, and there were 5,532 bottles released. It features a mix of Ardbeg, Caol Ila, Port Dundas, Cameronbridge, Pulteney, Glen Elgin and some unidentified blended parcels. 50% abv / $364.99 / bottle.
Metropolis. The 3rd release in the Extinct Blends Quartet, this was almost certainly intended as a remake of sorts of the old Bailie Nicol Jarvie which was first released in 1880 and was sold by The Glenmorangie company until it was discontinued in 2014 (reportedly because Glenmo needed the whisky to keep up with their single malt releases). For this recreation, they used a mix of Aberloud, Miltonduff, Bowmore and several unspecified blended malt and grain parcels. 5,910 bottles releases, 49% abv / $299.99 / bottle.
Secrets of Smoke. This is the newest limited edition release from Compass Box, having been launched in November of 2024. This blend features 1/3 Caol Ila, 1/3 their own Peat Monster blend, 22% Ardmore, plus some Bowmore, Laphroaig and blended malt parcels (no grain whisky in here) to round it out. Many of the cask components featured wine cask maturation, which appears to be the focus of this release. The press release indicates it was designed to explore “the unexpected sweetness at the core of peated whiskies”. 9,792 bottles release, 52% abv. / $141.99 / bottle.
Drammers-Exclusive Single Marrying Cask #65. This Glasgow Blend was “married” for 3 days short of one year in an ex-Cameronbridge cask, and was the last single barrel Compass Box released before deciding to shut down their single barrel program (and here at Drammers Club we were very proud to be entrusted with their final single marrying cask!). Huge cocoa notes on this one. 49% abv / $54.99 / bottle
The Peat Monster. Even thought this is the only longstanding member of the core range to survive the shakeup, the reality is this famously peaty blended whisky has evolved over time. Today over 63% of the blend originates at Caol Ila in various cask types, plus another 35% from Laphroaig, leaving a mere 1% of malt whisky coming from off Islay. 46% abv / $69.99 / bottle.
Crimson Casks. Out with the old and in with the new! Nothing better captures the transformation at Compass Box in the last year than this new expression, which was launched in September of 2024 and in many ways replaced BOTH of the two retired core range expressions. According to a Whisky Advocate article at the time of the launch of Crimson Casks, the Compass Box team determined that “there was too much of an overlap between Spaniard and Spice Tree in terms of flavor and storytelling—as both were Highlands-dominant blended malts focused on wood. “It wasn't that they did anything wrong,” he said. “They just kind of played in each other’s territory a bit.” The solution was to combine elements of both into this new expression: Crimson Casks. 46% abv / $66.99 / bottle
Nectarosity. This was the other new expression launched this past September, featuring a blend of Linkwood, Clynelish, Cameronbridge, Girvan and a little bit of Balmenach. The result shows off rich, honeyed fruits. And it’s definitely worth nothing that they’re being aggressive about making this one affordable, weighing in at just $44.99 / bottle. 46% abv.
Orchard House. This whisky was launched back in 2021, an early creation by James Saxon back when John Glaser was still running the company. As the name makes clear, this blend draws on whiskies from Clynelish and Linkwood finished in Palo Cortado sherry, aiming square at the bright/fresh apples and pears flavor space. 46% / $51.99 / bottle.
Bonus Retro Pour - No Name II. As we often do, we wanted to include a couple of fun whiskies from the past, so we thought we’d include this long-since-sold-out one from 2019 made by Jill Boyd that has emerged as a kind of cult favorite. With over 75% of the blend coming from Caol Ila, you know this is going to live in the peatier side of the portfolio. Please note that, as we expect to have James on for 90 minutes or so and want to pick his brain about the whiskies he helped create above, we likely will not spend much time on this one, so think of it as a bonus pour that you can enjoy at your leisure!
Bonus Retro Pour - Menagerie. This is another early creation by James Saxon as lead whiskymaker that was released in January 2021 and features over 40% Mortlach in the blend. This will be interesting point of comparison, as a look at how James approaches the meatier side of the whisky blend landscape. Compass Box described it as having “a complex aroma of baking spices, leather, tar and musky fruits”. We’re describing it as a “bonus pour” as we may not have time to do a deep dive with James on this with all the other whiskies we want to ask him about, but other members from the Compass Box team will be on hand to talk us through this one if we don’t get to it with James. One of 7,741 bottles and bottled at 46% abv.
That’s our lineup, we hope you can join us! Please let us know if you have any questions.
Login Details:
ZOOM LINK / https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82627659139?pwd=P3sOsiuOeVCjG1UaK8rNuHaEOnYa8D.1
Meeting ID: 826 2765 9139
Passcode: 011125