Compass Box has reimagined its extinct blend, Asyla, and recently introduced the new single malt release Delos.
This Scotch is the brand’s first limited edition of 2023, and a statement from the whisky maker notes that Delos is inspired by flavors of the past and has 5,520 bottles heading to stores worldwide.
Compass Box’s Asyla was “retired” in 2018, according to the brand’s statement, and at the time was the cornerstone of their core range.
Asyla was named after a Greek island said to be the birthplace of the god Apollo, a place with mosaics and ancient temples.
The blender’s notes show that Delos balances Compass Box’s rarest stocks of whisky to create a refined flavor for the senses. Malt whiskies from Glen Elgin, Imperial and Miltonduff distilleries, all aged in American oak barrels, bring a sweet and mellow medley of ripe pear, pineapple, orange, and vanilla notes, and builds to reveal guava, heather honey, and chai spices.
James Saxon, Compass Box lead whisky maker, said that while the new Scotch was inspired by the style and recipe structure of Asyla, Delos has richer and rounder flavors from using older stocks of whiskies.
“Which amplifies the character, bringing more grandeur to it and making it more resonant. The delicate mouthfeel and transportive aromas within Delos are nevertheless familiarly delicious. For me, sipping Delos feels like a holiday,” he added.
Delos’ label art features a female lute player from the original Asyla label, reimagined in mosaic form. Now, she plays a lyre, the instrument classically associated with Apollo, with the outline of the tiles broken away to reflect the coastlines of Delos and Greece.
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Delos is the second release from the whisky maker’s Extinct Blends Quartet series, reappraising four different expressions of blended Scotch. The remaining two from the series will be introduced in late 2023 and early 2024.
For more information, check out www.compassboxwhisky.com.
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