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Saturday 22 December 2012

18 Under 30 Part 17: Compass Box Asyla



Will someone turn the (Christmas) lights off when they leave?  

It seems that now all of us have survived the so-called Mayan Apocalypse, festive relief has truly set in across the globe and most of us decided to skip off work today, in search of a few last Christmas bargains they can get their hands on before settling back into a week of pure indulgence.

That is certainly the case for the Caskstrength office anyway -  Harrison, decided to clock off last Friday (Bah, Humbug indeed)  and headed for Scotland (alright for some, eh) whilst I ably manned the phones and the company Visa card -  keenly perusing the internet for whisky porn bargains.

And as part of our ongoing 18 Under £30 series, I've sought out another cracker, this time from our pals at Compass Box.

John Glaser and his team have, for over a decade, been putting together some excellent blended whiskies, including sublime grains and essential malt-based bottlings - all under the maxim, 'Above All, Share & Enjoy', which is a sentiment we wholeheartedly second.




So if you fancy something a little bit different over Christmas, remember the versatility of a quality blend: straight up, over ice, with sparkling water or as part of a cocktail, bottlings like Great King Street (£23.99) and the richer, more complex Spice Tree (£37.32) will serve you very well indeed.  However, our 18 Under 30 wouldn't be complete without this little offer: Compass Box Asyla for under £30!


Compass Box - Asyla - Blended Scotch Whisky - 40% 70cl

Nose: Some seriously fruity notes of fresh orchard fruit (red apples, plums) wrestle with some distinct melon freshness, a blast of sweet grain and a waft of subtle smoke.  

Palate: Sweet at first, with plum jam, some sliced apple, sweetened breakfast cereal, vanilla notes and again just a wisp of smoke.  Balanced, yet bold enough to punch through in a long drink or cocktail.

Finish: Lingering notes of vanilla and a little liquorice/anise spice, alongside some malty bread.

Overall:  One of the core Compass Box range and easy to see why - Asyla is well blended, stupidly easy to drink and as we mentioned above, extremely versatile.   Blending at its best. 

Compass Box Asyla is available for under £30 here and here.