Compass Box Ultramarine (51% abv)

Bottles of Scotch whisky are time capsules. Even more than single malts, blends can reflect the production methods and philosophies that prevailed in Scotland during specific eras. Scotch is constantly evolving, and blends aggregate these trends and adaptations.

Fashions change, and formulae follow suit. Blended whiskies of the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s are very different to today’s versions, even when the brand name remains the same. The Extinct Blends Quartet reimagines four of our favourite blended Scotches from yesteryear, using some of our rarest and most idiosyncratic stocks of whisky.

Ultramarine takes as its inspiration the antique Sherry and pipe tobacco notes of a deluxe blended Scotch, first released in the late 1980s. Powerfully flavoursome and impressively textural, the first release in the Extinct Blends Quartet relies on mature malts from the Caol Ila and Glendullan distilleries; aged grains from the Cameronbridge and Girvan distilleries, as well as a medley of pre-blended stocks.