Compass Field has unveiled Ultramarine, a restricted version whisky that’s the primary in an bold and imaginative sequence known as the Extinct Blends Quartet. The brand new assortment pays homage to sure kinds of Scotch from the previous, with the primary launch taking its inspiration from a deluxe blended Scotch whisky first launched within the late Eighties.
In addition to arguing that sure ‘vintages’ of blended Scotch could be simply as worthy of veneration as distilleries that have been closed throughout the identical durations, the Extinct Mix Quartet takes inspiration from characters and flavours which have vanished through the years. Within the sequence, 4 very totally different expressions of blended Scotch might be produced utilizing a few of Compass Field’s most valuable parcels of whisky.
The primary few batches of the mix on which Ultramarine relies drew from shares of malt and grain whisky that had constructed up as a part of Scotland’s ‘Whisky Loch’ of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. Whereas nonetheless an enchanting product at the moment, a compelling vintage high quality could be discovered within the earliest bottlings. It’s this old-school fashion that has impressed the model’s whiskymakers.
To amass the burden of physique and haunting smokiness required, Ultramarine makes use of well-aged malts and pre-blended parcels of Scotch whisky, each matured in Sherry casks, along with peated malts.
The whisky options outstanding aromas of toffee, vanilla, and toasted oak, with impressions of a peaty malt kiln. Leathery dried mango builds following the primary sip with peat, roasted pecan, and raisin. Proceedings have a tendency in a nuttier, spicier, and smokier course with time.
James Saxon, lead whiskymaker says, “As whiskymakers and blenders, we take umbrage that closed single malt distilleries appeal to all of the adulation and explosive hammer costs at public sale. A distillery is rarely fully misplaced. As we see with Brora, Rosebank and Port Ellen, they are often revived – mash tuns could be refilled, stills heated up once more. Blends, although, are the richest time capsules Scotch whisky has, reflecting the concepts and sensibilities of the groups of those who made them, and the kinds of shares out there to the blenders from 12 months to 12 months. Ultramarine and the whiskies that can come after it usually are not recreations – that isn’t doable. They’re as an alternative tributes, our manner of reimagining the DNA of some nice blends of the previous.”
Bottled at 51% ABV, Compass Field Ultramarine might be out there on cabinets starting in October with 5,982 bottles out there worldwide for the worth of £295.
For extra data, head over to the model’s official web site.
This month, the whisky bottlers unveiled the 2022 version of their Flaming Coronary heart whisky.
