Review #678 - Compass Box Glasgow Blend Single Marrying Cask - Storied Company Selection
The Glasgow Blend was first released by Compass Box back in 2014; in addition to the core range blend product, they released a sub-product called the 'Single Marrying Cask.' These are essentially private cask selections that could be picked by retailers or other partners; the example we have today was selected and bottled by specialty spirits shop Storied Company in 2022.
Compass Box says that the Glasgow Blend is "an homage to the historical tastes of Glaswegian whisky drinkers," which means a profile of rich and smoky notes. To achieve that profile, they combine the following components:
35.2% Cameronbridge grain whisky aged in first fill bourbon casks
29.0% Undisclosed Aberlour single malt aged in first fill sherry butts
18.2% Laphroaig single malt aged in refill casks
9.9% Clynelish single malt aged in first fill bourbon casks
5.1% Undisclosed Aberlour single malt aged in rejuvenated sherry butts
2.6% 'Highland Malt Blend' - Compass Box's blended malt from Highland distilleries, aged in Heavy Toast French Oak casks
While there's no age statement on the bottle or website, some digging online points to a range of 5 year to 10 year whisky in the bottle, with the vast majority being in the 8 to 10 year range; after the components were combined, this single cask was allowed to marry for an additional 10 months in an American oak ex-bourbon barrel before bottling. The cask was bottled at an elevated strength of 49% ABV (compared to 43% for the standard Glasgow Blend), and 204 bottles were yielded in total.
Compass Box Glasgow Blend Single Marrying Cask - Storied Company Selection
Scotland - Blend
Price: USD 59 (2025)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 49% ABV
Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon, sherry, refill, and heavy toast French oak casks
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; bottled June 30, 2022; cask 9; 204 bottles
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 4 times over 12 months; bottles at 90% (blind tasting), 80% (blind tasting), and 60% (blind tasting), and 30% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Peaty and malty, with just a hint of musty funk. Oranges, plum, and cranberry juice bring a fruity side, and we get soft vanilla and hints of soda as well. There are mild mineral notes, as well as a kick from cinnamon.
Palate: The mouthfeel has a medium thickness; plenty of peat smoke arrives in the beginning, and it grows in intensity. Chalky minerality combines with buttery malt and barrel char; oranges, strawberry, and sweet peach bring the fruit back. At times, it's a bit sharp and ashy.
Finish: Medium to strong peat lingers, as well as hints of hot peppers and ash - a bit spicy at times. Acidic fruits like lemon, lime, and orange... light floral notes and some drying oak, too. It's a medium-long finish.
Final Note: Such a solid blend - the high malt content here shows with nice depth and complexity. There's plenty of peat even though Laphroaig constitutes less than 20% of the blend; that just shows how powerful the phenolic notes can be. Lots of fruits, both light fruit and darker red fruits, show off that sherry influence.
Value here is above average as well. These single marrying cask versions of the Glasgow Blend are generally a little more expensive than the standard version of the blend, but they're still fairly priced, especially for the interesting components of the blend and the quality you get.
Our Average Rating: 6.8 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.94
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
