Compass Box Gold Standard

Another limited bespoke edition from Compass Box, this time for the Binny’s superstores of the Midwest. The nose starts off soft and lemony, typical of those Compass Box blends that include grain. It’s pleasant and familiar, but disappointingly suggests there won’t be much to distinguish this from the core range. Give it some time, however, and a hint of Golden Syrup or burnt sugar emerges, indicative perhaps of some sherry casks. The taste follows suit: malt and lemon with a slight undertone of treacle. The finish is short. The recipe, which I didn’t look at until after I’d tasted my sample, comprises Clynelish and Teaninich malt and Port Dundas grain, but also a blend from a “custom French oak cask” and — surprisingly — a couple of Islays. The Teaninich was matured in a sherry butt and could account for the sugary notes, though grain as old as the one used here can also play that way. I didn’t pick up anything from the Islays - Caol Ila and a dash of Ardbeg. Regardless, it’s lovely summer fare that would pair well with a sunny day by a Midwest lake.