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Following founder John Glazer's departure from Compass Box in May 2024 and the discontinuation of the core range Hedonism expression in 2024, Compass Box announced further revamps to its core range in mid-July 2024. The news was first reported by Decanter in an exclusive article on 19 July.
The new core range will include Compass Box's classic Peat Monster and Orchard House, which was introduced in 2021. However, to make the range 'more legible,' the company has introduced two new expressions, Crimson Casks and Nectarosity, and discontinued two whiskies, The Story of the Spaniard and Spice Tree. The revamp is accompanied by modified labels for the two old expressions to match the 'new look'.
According to James Saxon, Compass Box's whisky-making director, the company is also considering discontinuing the existing Artist Blend and Glasgow Blend whiskies in a few years.
Officially launched on 29 July 2024, the new 'clearer and distinctive' core range of four whisky blends was developed in close partnership with Glazer before his exit.
While Glazer remains a shareholder in the company, Caelum Capital became the majority shareholder in 2022 and appointed former Bacardi executive Maurice Doyle as its CEO. In February 2024, Jeff Popkin, a former Stoli Group executive, was appointed as the new CEO of Compass Box America.
"We’re making the changes off the back of a lot of work,’ said Saxon, "We started thinking about this in late 2022. We wanted to look a little bit at what was working in the current range and our ambition over the coming years."
The new blended malt Crimson Casks is said to replace the 'hybrid cask' Spice Tree, which was considered controversial when it was released in 2006. Crimson Casks is offered at 46% ABV and retails for £65 (US$84).
Nectarosity, on the other hand, focuses on American oak maturation and is 20% matured in virgin Missouri oak casks, seasoned for a year with newmake from Girvan grain distillery. After 12 months, the casks are filled with Clynelish - a trademark single malt often preferred by Compass Box. The expression is also bottled at 46% with a suggested retail price of £55 (US$71).
Original Images by Compass Box
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