Compass Box Revives ‘Extinct’ Whisky Blend With a Strong Link to Artistic Work of Scottish Novelist Sir Walter Scott in Newest Release

Compass Box Metropolis pays homage to urban city centers and features a blend of “extinct” whiskies. (Photo: Compass Box)

London-based independent whisky bottler Compass Box announced its latest limited release within the Extinct Blends Quartet on Tuesday. The blended scotch whisky was inspired by a recently “extinct” blended scotch that has a link to a novel by Sir Walter Scott, which references several urban city centers.

Historically, blended scotch whisky is inextricably linked to city centers, with blending vats in Glasgow and bottling facilities in Edinburgh.

Metropolis hosts a suggested retail price of $325 and is bottled at 49% ABV. Only 5,190 bottles of this non-chill-filtered whisky are available for purchase in the U.S.

The London bottler’s series draws inspiration from these urban centers and their close ties to the whisky-making process.

“With METROPOLIS, we continue to revive, recreate and reimagine legendary whisky blends of the past,” James Saxon, Compass Box lead whiskymaker, said in a news release. “The Extinct Blends Quartet celebrates discontinued characters and flavors, reappraising four very different expressions of blended Scotch. These exclusive blends pay homage to specific moments in time, where relationships, ideas and people created these delicious whiskies.”

Metropolis recreates some of the blended scotches from the days of yore. The expression features malt whiskies from the Ablerlour and Miltonduff distilleries, with a parcel of blended scotch matured in sherry butts and bourbon barrels. A splash of malt whisky was added from Bowmore Distillery to add what the brand describes as “subtle scents of hot metal and smoke drifting from the shipyards.” For a full breakdown of the recipe, interested parties can visit Compass Box’s website.

This release follows July’s collaboration between Compass Box and Bimber Distillery, “Duality.” The two distilleries’ expressions were created as a result of the teaspooning process, and the blends included whiskies from Ardbeg and Glendullan.

Metropolis Tasting Notes, via Compass Box

Nose: Vanilla, with a cornucopia of different honeys.

Taste: Fudge, apricot, pineapple and fresh fig. Sultana and woodsmoke.

Finish: Long and sweet, pleasantly weighty.

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