Since I’ve just recently reviewed Spice Tree Extravaganza, as well as Three Year Old Deluxe, I thought that I might as well publish my tasting notes on a rare glass of Compass Box whisky that I had the opportunity to taste.
You’ve probably already guessed that I’m referring to “The General.” Suffice it to say, this blend is anything but ordinary. That’s why the name is so appropriate: it literally commands one’s attention.
According to a spokesperson at Compass Box, The General is made up of two thirds blended 40-year-old whisky, matured in whisky butts, which was purchased from Gordon and MacPhail, and identified as Glen Calder. As for the ages of whiskies that went into the cask before it was blended and laid down to mature, Compass Box can only say that the youngest known age of this blend was 40 years old. There may be components of the cask that were even older!
The other third of The General is made up of a parcel of blended casks purchased from a whisky broker. Compass Box doesn’t know the exact ages or distilleries represented in this “mystery blend,” but it can say with confidence that the youngest age of the whisky is 33 years old. Again, there may be older components of this third.
Because we are talking about a Scotch whisky blend, rather than a single malt blend, there’s grain whisky added, as well . . . but, oh, what amazing grain it is! So clean, so neutral . . . such a wonderful stage upon which to position two elder statesmen.
Tasting Notes: Compass Box The General
Vital Stats: The General; 53.4% ABV; Compass Box 2013; 1,698 bottles produced. As for price, well, that’s MIA . . . good luck finding a bottle.
Appearance: Color is “russet muscat.” After being rolled in one’s glass, the legs reveal a goodly amount of very old whisky, as well as a nice, healthy percentage of alcohol by volume. Oh, baby, these legs are supermodel material! As I watch them trickle down, I’m reminded of Gisele Bundchen’s golden gams. How’s that for a mouthful?
Nose: This blend is forgiving, considering its high ABV . . . and, yet, it is anything but complacent. My brain can’t help but compare what I’m nosing with other whiskies that have come before. I’m reminded of elements from both the 30- and 40-Year-Old Highland Parks, as well as a 40-Year-Old Glenfarclas, which I drove one hundred and forty-four miles through gale force winds to obtain (true story).
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The scents of leather books, heather honey, and purple clover blossoms drift up . . . and then caramel takes over, along with unsweetened shredded coconut. Somebody pinch me. Now the fruits have found a voice: golden raisins, dates, along with a hint o’ mint. All of these qualities are intermingled with the most pleasant wood presence that I can recall enjoying in recent memory. Mature oak casks bestow the impression of cinnamon, as well as polished antique furniture.
Palate: Viscous is an understatement. This dram is “mouthwatering,” as German whisky critic, Horst Luening, is fond of saying in his Youtube reviews. What an elegant mouth feel is created, as I sip. Kein wasser! No water! I cannot add so much as one drop to my glass, perfect as it is–the way it is.
The General makes me want to chew, and chew some more. No, I don’t wear dentures. No, I’m not masticating on a piece of gum. The stately oak presence trapped in this broth is intoxicating, and chewing helps to release some of the more subtle flavors. Oh, heaven. Sherry fructose has just begun to surface with gifts of the highest quality caramel and marshmallow nougat. This followed by a melange of fruit preserves: fig marmalade, lemon marmalade, orange marmalade. There’s also orange blossom and Christmas cake (that’s “fruit cake” to you, Uncle Sam).
Finish: I’m really enjoying nosing and tasting my dram together. One enhances the other. On the back end, I’m getting the oak, along with cinnamon bark, white pepper, lemon zest, and a faint mentholated presence that co-mingles in the best of ways.
As for length, I’ve clocked The General’s finish at “medium long.” A phantom note of caramel duels to the death with the oak. In this way, a perfect balance is attained, like two Celtic warriors shaking hands after they have just slain each other in mortal combat–one beat away from giving up their ghosts, in tandem.
And what of time? How did Glaser’s creation fare in my glass? At least one hour of meditation over this whisky is in order. With a bit of patience, it will move in interesting directions. My only criticism has to do with predictability. Nothing caught me by surprise, from the first sip until the last (as venerable old single cask bottlings can do).
Final Thoughts and Score:
After hearing back from a Compass Box spokesperson directly, I realized that it is completely understandable why The General can’t be duplicated in later editions: there were too many unknown variables that went into the creation of this magickal broth. As such, it’s a one hit wonder . . . a blend of a blend of a blend.
Truth be told, I pride myself on having made some pretty damned good single malt blends of my own. Been there, done that. As a man who has tried his hand at blending, over the years, I must admire Glaser’s expert handiwork all the more.
Obviously, his creations are made on a much larger scale than three mere bottles in a collection blended together into a fourth. Producing 1,698 bottles to sell around the world is another animal altogether. Such an undertaking requires skill, knowledge . . . . and just a pinch of faerie dust.
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