Experimental Grain

About

Compass Box is an independent blending house founded in 2000 by John Glaser, a former Johnnie Walker marketer who set out to make Scotch whisky more interesting. The Experimental Grain is a limited edition that does exactly that: it defies easy classification by marrying grain whiskies from three distilleries (Cameronbridge, North British, and Loch Lomond). The star is a small parcel from Loch Lomond, made by running a wash of peated malted barley through a copper Coffey still — a technical experiment that gives the entire blend its character. This blended grain combines rich spirits from Cameronbridge and North British with that idiosyncratic peated component from Loch Lomond. The result is a whisky that feels contradictory but coherent: sweet and savoury in the same breath. On the nose, toffee apple and vanilla arrive gently, then smoked almond and BBQ smoke emerge. The palate delivers on that apple promise — both tart and sweet — alongside milk chocolate, light peat, and spice. The finish is clean and dry, without heavy oak.

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