Compass Box Asyla

$66.99

Compass box is a specialist WhiskyAsyla is Compass Box's blended whisky;a blended of premium single malts, on a bed of grain whisky. It is the breakfast whisky of the Compass Box line. Creamy vanilla, lightly fruity, dry bitter finish. Blender, focused on flavour. The company hand selects casks, specially chooses its oak & is an industry leader in inovation.

Compass Box GKS Artist KWM Cask 2

$89.99

This is our 2nd Single Marrying Cask of Compass Box's Great King Street Artist Blend. Bottled at 49%, the whisky, from Cask No. 546, was married in January 2020 in a French Oak Custom Barrel and bottled in August 2021. Only 198 bottles!

The Components of Our Cask - Pre-Finishing in 1 Year & 8 Months in a French Oak Custom Barrel

1. 44.5% Cameronbridge First Fill Bourbon Barrel

2. 23% Linkwood First Fill Bourbon Barrel

3. 10.6% Clynelish First Fill Bourbon Barrel

4. 10.5% Balmenach First Fill Bourbon Barrel

5. 6.8% Highland Malt Blend Custom French Oak Barrel - Medium Toast

6. 4.6% Linkwood Revatted Palo Cortado Sherry-Seasoned Butt

The Exceptional Grain 3rd Edition

$64.99

Part of a trio of ranges under "The Exceptional" banner, this Blended Grain Scotch Whisky is quite lovely, consisting of mainly old single grains.

The exceptional range is the brain child of Don Sutcliffe a 35 year veteran of the spirits industry and Willie Phillips who was managing director of Macallan for 23 years. The range consists of Blended Malt, Blended Grain and a Blended whisky. Every batch is unique and crafter to be interesting rather than consistent. Evan and I sampled them and were impressed by the range. We have to buy a case of each of the three if we want one of them, so we have a special promotion... buy 2 of the 3 and save $5 per bottle. Buy one of each and save $10 per bottle.

From the Proudcer: "Remarkable mature casks - from North British, Loch Lomond, Strathclyde, Cameron Bridge and Carsbridge distilleries, blended and married in the first-fill Oloroso Sherry butts." 43%

Andrew's Tasting Note

Nose: decadent, citrusy, cream, powdered sugar and French crepes; very floral elegant and silky.

Palate: very sweet, silky and toasty; almonds, citrus and charred oak; more French crepes and delicate floral notes.

Finish: long, creamy, elegant and smooth.

The Exceptional Blend 1st Edition

$69.99

Part of a trio of ranges under "The Exceptional" banner, this Blended Grain Scotch Whisky is quite lovely, consisting of mainly old single grains.

The exceptional range is the brain child of Don Sutcliffe a 35 year veteran of the spirits industry and Willie Phillips who was managing director of Macallan for 23 years. The range consists of Blended Malt, Blended Grain and a Blended whisky. Every batch is unique and crafter to be interesting rather than consistent. Evan and I sampled them and were impressed by the range. 

From the Producer: "A mature grain and malt Whisky casks from North British, Strathclyde, Cameron Bridge, Glenfarclas, Ben Nevis, Balvenie, Kininvie, Glenfiddich, Alt-a’Bhainne, Auchroisk, Glenallachie, Westport, Speyside and (of course) Macallan distilleries, were blended and married in first-fill Oloroso Sherry butts." 43%

Andrew's Tasting Note

Nose: juicy, floral and silky with soft creamy notes of vanilla ice cream, lemon and goat cheese.

Palate: honeyed, fruity and spicy with a malt and floral notes; more vanilla ice cream, jujubes and decadent spice.

Finish: long, great balance of malty notes and grain.

Nikka From the Barrel Evolution Gift Set

$89.99

This gift set includes a bottle of Nikka From The Barrel plus two small glasses and a pour spout.

Nikka's venerated from the Barrel has been a staple of our whisky shelves for years and will hopefully remain so. This creation from Nikka is a blend of grain and malt from multiple distilleries owned by the company. It is always bottled at 51.4% ABV after the components are married in refill casks for up to half a year to marry together and become a cohesive whole.

Nikka From the Barrel Flask Gift Set

$89.99

This gift set contains a bottle of Nikka From The Barrel plus a hip flask.

Nikka's venerated from the Barrel has been a staple of our whisky shelves for years and will hopefully remain so. This creation from Nikka is a blend of grain and malt from multiple distilleries owned by the company. It is always bottled at 51.4% ABV after the components are married in refill casks for up to half a year to marry together and become a cohesive whole.

Compass Box The Double Single 2017

$249.99

A marriage of not many but just two whiskies, one single malt and one single grain. The whisky consists of 72% Glen Elgin single malt (20 years) and 28% Girvan single grain (19 years). The whisky is bottled at 46%. Both components were matured in re-charred hogsheads. 

Andrew's Tasting Note

Nose: so elegant, decadent, pretty, refined; the fruits are juicy on the nose, somewhat reminiscent of said gum; cooked apple, poached pear, melons and apricots; waxy, thin filaments of silky grain notes and toasted oak; very buttery and creamy.

Palate: this is dangerously drinkable (crushable as Bryan would say); still Juicy, the malt is round, fruity and soft; the grain adds thin silky oils; creamy and toasty the whisky shows just the right amount of wood; more cooked apple, poached pear, dried apricots and Midori melon; vanilla and toasted coconut; it is light, soft and refreshing but yet there are so many layers.  

Finish: decadent, warming, elegant and beautiful; more vanilla, buttery cream and soft fruits.

Comment: Compass Box never disappoints with its limited editions, and this one is no exception; it is so drinkable, you will want a backup!

Producer Tasting Note

"The blending of the two component whiskies in The Double Single allows the sweet caramel flavours of the grain whisky to complement the fruity and herbal flavours of the malt, giving the final blend a creamy vanilla character overlaying a delicate ethereal malt whisky character."

Producer Description

"How many components are required to create true complexity in a Blended Scotch Whisky? For Double Single, instead of using many tens of component whiskies we have used just two – one single grain whisky and one single malt whisky (hence the name). Both are beautiful liquids in their own right but we believe they are elevated above the sum of their parts when combined in the correct proportions."

"Such thinking runs strongly counter to the blending strategies evident in the larger, commercial Blended Scotch releases that dominate the whisky market worldwide, where many dozens of components can often be found within a single blend. So why do things differently?

"We believe that when using components of the highest quality, less is often more. That the interaction between a single grain and a single malt can be every bit as good – better even – than either a more complex blend or the component tasted on its own. Above all, share & enjoy."

Compass Box KWM 25th Annv. Blend

$143.99

Five years of discussions went into the creation of this product, the first collaboration between Compass Box and Kensington Wine Market. Inspired by Flaming Heart and some of Compass Box's elegant old blends the Compass Box KWM 25th Anniversary Blend is a very special creation! Bottled at 45% the whisky is from a mixture of old grains and both spicy and smoky malts. The components were matured in First-Fill American Oak, Sherry Butts and French Oak. 

What John Glaser had to say about the whisky:

“We have been fortunate to work with Andrew Ferguson of Kensington Wine Market for many years, bringing our Compass Box whiskies to the Scotch enthusiasts of Canada.

"For years we’ve been talking with Andrew about creating a bespoke whisky for him.  We originally wanted to name it “Fort Whoop-Up”, after the notorious 19th century Alberta trading post, allegedly a centre for whisky smuggling and all sorts of illegal activities, near what is now Lethbridge.

"But with the 25th anniversary of Kensington Wine Market upon us, we’ve decided to name it in honour of the anniversary, so Andrew can showcase the whisky throughout his year of celebrations.

"Developed from an original brief by Andrew, this blend is a showpiece for the deep complexity that well-aged malt and grain whiskies from exceptional oak casks can deliver.  It is composed of one-third decadent old grain whiskies aged in American oak; and spicy, smoky malt whiskies aged in both American oak and sherry casks.  The combination is rich and complex, with the soft cushion of the old grain whisky providing an indulgent base on top of which the bold, smoky and dark fruit notes of the malt whiskies are placed.

"We believe this whisky is a fitting tribute to Kensington Wine Market and also to Alberta’s long history of enjoying, exploring and indeed smuggling fine whisky!  But with partners as committed and knowledgeable as Kensington Wine Market in place there will be no need to smuggle this bottle into the province – and for that we are all grateful!

"However you source this whisky, wherever you drink it, whoever you share it with, above all, please share and enjoy.

John Glaser
Founder & Whiskymaker”

Compass Box Phenomenology

$229.99

The firm is keeping pretty tight-lipped on this one until December. This limited edition blended malt has been bottled at 46%, and judging by the profile, it isn't young... our owner Andrew had a chance to sample it in September in London!

Andrew's Tasting Note

Nose: big white fruits, honey, freshly picked cherries and banana chips; a touch woody with a musty edge; floral and malty; hints of smoke, some soft coffee tones, raisin danishes and dried apricots .

Palate: big, round, coating and juicy; more white fruits, creamed honey and toasted oak, and then the smoke sneaks up on you; the smoke is elegant and delicate and leads to a soft but firm peat.

Finish: big, chewy and coating; dries out late with smooth smoke.

Comment: the smoke creeps up on you; this is lovely; very drinkable.

Producer Description

"Phenomenolog y is a way of thinking about ourselves and the very personal, subjective nature of experience. It’s a school of thought in psychology that focuses on phenomena, or, the experiences that we get from our senses – what we see, taste, smell, etc. Somehow we saw a link between phenomenology and whisky."

"We’d long been working on a blend of single malts that combines seemingly dissonant flavour profiles, but together creates something compelling. We landed on a recipe that elicited a surprising range of reactions and descriptions, each person taking away something different from the whisky.
Rather than try to settle on whose perceptions were ‘right’ or ‘wrong’, we were inspired by the phenomenological school of thought to consider how
different people experience the same phenomenon. In celebration of the subjectivity of whisky tasting, we released this whisky in September 2017
without any tasting notes or flavour descriptors to invite people to first experience the whisky without preconception. As you explore this whisky
for yourself, we invite you to describe the ‘phenomena’ in your own words and ideas. Your experience is your own, personal and subjective. And, so, you have…Phenomenolog y, a limited edition Compass Box whisky.

"Above all, share & enjoy.

"John Glaser, Whiskymaker"

The Blend

1. 24.5% Tamdhu 2001 – 15 year - 1st fill Bourbon barrel
2. 72.0% Glenlossie 1996 - 21 year - Rechar Hogshead
3. 2.0% Highland Park 1997 – 20 - Rechar Hogshead
4. 1.0% Talisker 1996 – 21 year - Refill Butt
5. 0.5% Caol Ila 2006 - 11 year - Hogshead
6.