We are unashamed and huge fans of John Glaser. Like Richard Seale this gentleman bucked the trends to leave a lucrative career to start his own tiny company dedicated to imaginative, high quality blends. His modus operandi begins in his own head, brainstorming and imagining a profile and only then traveling about to bring fruition to what began as a delicious idea.
Glaser then travels about to the likely suspects - who know and respect him - where he requests, tastes and finally selects the individual barrels that he believes may work. Like da' Rum he then experiments in the dark and wonderful art called blending until his dream - or something even better - emerges. Let's consider what makes Glaser great...
Glaser the Artist...
1. The grain spirit component is a Lowland that is aged in first fill American Oak (adding riichness and vanillans) to create a solid base.
2. The single malt(s) are added in a notably higher proportion that most of what we know as blends.
3. He makes great use of especially expensive cooperage: here small, first-fill American and European oak barrels, and what he claims is unique to Compass Box - first use, heavy toast French Oak.
4. His products are completely free of anything, not even E-150. They are un-chillfiltered, and bottled at a classic 43%.
Last, he believes in complete transparency. Regarding the Great King St. release:
Forgive me for comparing single malts and especially John Glaser to the wacky and weird world of rum, but I must. This is exactly why rum has a long, long way to go to become a truly noble spirit.WHISKY (Spirit Character)
A Lowland Grain Whisky (fruity/perfumed) 46%
B Northern Highland Single Malt (malty/fruity) 28%
C Northern Highland Single Malt (grassy/perfumed) 17%
D Speyside Single Malt (meaty) 9%
WOOD (Flavour Impact)
1 First Fill American Oak Barrel (vanilla) 66%
2 New French Oak Finish {New-Headed Barrel} 26%
(Grilled Marshmallow, toastiness, roasted coffee)
3 First Fill Sherry Butt (wine, dried fruits) 8%
Sue Sea's Mini Review
"Some of you probably know I'm not a big whisky fan, but I have the highest regard for Jim's love of them. Even so I am able to judge any spirit with sincerity and leave my own preferences out of it. There's even a few I like that may surprise you, like Laphroig 10 (which truly takes me back to the seas and villages of Islay), Pappy Van Winkle's amazing 20 year old and Glenfarclas small distillery 12 year.
All different, but all of the highest possible and memorable quality, complexity and harmony that old brown spirits, including the few pure old fine rums all seem to achieve. They converge.
We were picking up a nice Hawaiian beer called Kona Pipeline that contains a little Kona coffee when Jim spied the Great King St., something he'd long looked for but never seemed to appear, and when it did, at an extravagant price. Total Wine apparently thought the holidays deserved a price of just $34, way less than most of Glaser's products. A done deal for Jim, who will wait until hells freezes over for the right opportunity.
Great King St. has a wonderful fruity nose: peach, pear, vanilla and a tart baked apple sensation. And yes, a bit of unexpected smokiness. All but the smoke carry through, and is surprisingly balanced by a growing cinnamon and white pepper heat and a very long finish which leaves a very long glowing, slightly fruity and vanilla finish and aftertaste. This is the kind of development that makes you go back for more.
All told, the sum of its varying parts is at one time pleasant, surprising and somehow integrated.
Me: John Glaser's Great King St. "Artists Blend" is exactly that. Although Sue Sea was so taken with it that she forgot her usual comments on the bottle, let's say it perfectly expresses its heritage, named after the very old street of the same name in Edinburgh, Scotland,
where Glaser's tiny Compass Box company is located. It is a short necked, slight squat and slightly tapered bottle with old style, hand drawn label featuring "Great King St... Artist's Blend... Non-chill filtered... Natural Color..." and a hand drawn artist's palate.
Perfect.
A sweet vanillan, spice, apple and pear nose. Unlike Sue Sea, I am so spoiled by Laphroig 10 that somehow I didn't get the slight smoke, but I'll give Sue Sea's far superior senses that one. If she says it's there - it's there. Perhaps cooked or baked fruit works. And it is that last element that perfectly expresses the early and middle palates, while the well hidden spice finally slips in through the side door, then takes over the kitchen with a brilliant but not overpowering hot white pepper and apple sweet finish, that leaves an amazingly long, glowing and reflective finish. Come to dram with it and yes, I get Sue Sea's smoky grain and now in spades. It's just so well damn integrated..
This integration of seemingly incongruous elements into a somehow integrated experience is a credit to its creater, Jon Glaser. This has the potential to become one of our very few must haves.
Other than that, it was OK (that's a joke, madmen)... actually, I dare you to buy one!