John Glaser, the founder of Compass Box Whisky, is considered a brilliant "enfant terrible" in whisky circles. He has gained many loyal fans with his award-winning and revolutionary whisky blends, while he has also created the occasional scandal in Scotland’s whisky industry. Spice Tree is his latest product, dating back to 2005.
Glaser intended to give this whisky a finish unlike any that had ever existed before. He replaced some of the staves in the Bourbon casks traditionally used for aging Scotch whisky with heavily toasted French oak staves. In these casks, Spice Tree acquired the intense spicy aroma, which is reflected in its name.
However, the new method of finishing was not well received by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), the trade association of the Scottish Whisky industry. Confronted with the threat of legal action, Glaser was forced to cease production of Spice Tree. But he refused to accept defeat and set about researching the statutes, eventually finding a loophole that he proceeded to exploit.
Instead of replacing the staves, he carried out the procedure with the cask head instead. After aging the various malt whiskies (primarily from the Clynelish Distillery) in first fill and refill Bourbon casks, these whiskies are then blended in casks with heads made of heavily-toasted French oak. After a period of two years in these modified casks the whiskies are then bottled. And lo and behold! The SWA let it through.
With his second run of Spice Tree, John Glaser has won yet another battle in his ‘holy war’.
Ratings
"Binomial formulas corked up inside bottles for all those who believe they’ve seen it all. Dark chocolate with tyre rubber in search of light in the jungle of single malts."
Oliver Ebert (Beckett‘s Kopf, Berlin)
"In the nose honeydew melon and apricot; on the palate maize, cherry, wood and, believe it or not, mussels and ginger. This product certainly requires adventurous guests, since its complexity is difficult to bring across. It is a whisky that raises questions among almost all connoisseurs and inspires one to experimentation. As the self-proclaimed king of kitsch and a lover of foreign cultures I am personally very enthused by Spice Tree, but I recommend a considered approach to its use."
Arnd Henning Heissen (Shochu Bar, Berlin)
Origin: Scotland
Producer: Compass Box Delicious Whisky Ltd
Distribution: Prineus GmbH
Price: approx. 32 euros (0.7l)
Alcoholic strength: 46% Vol.
Tanja Bempreiksz
