Welcome back to another fine pairing of two blended whiskies, where I try them side-by-side, jot down some notes on the perceived differences, pick a favourite, and hopefully learn something new along the way. I was supposed to be tasting a blend from my Japanese whisky collection, but I needed to find a perfect companion for the contender first (you see what I put myself through for science?). So I’ll skip that one for today and jump to the 10th dram from the Cask Explorers‘ 2022 Advent Calendar (Emerald Edition) and pull out a fascinating new whisky I have never heard of. It is a blended Scotch, and so I pick another one from my collection, which happens to be the Glasgow Blend from Compass Box. These two should go well head-to-head, so let’s get right to it, but first, we need music! Now playing: Roel Funcken – July Ambient Mix.

Alright! So the Lord Elcho is a blended Scotch named after the 5th Earl of Wemyss, “who was stripped of his title after the Battle of Culloden before being forced into exile in France.” Yeah, don’t worry – I have no idea who that is either. But I know it was created by Wemyss Malts, an independent bottler [they also make Spice King], under their “premium” selection of blends from the “choicest” malt and grain whiskies, each no younger than 15 years of age. Unfortunately, I cannot tell if it is coloured (probably), and it’s most likely chill-filtered because it’s bottled at the lowest possible minimum of 40% ABV. And for that, it will not get the coveted “integrity star” next to its profile. It’s got a nice profile on the nose, a bit of that old-world blended Scotch scent, with some sherry cask influence, and a bit of woodsy cardboard with the grain. I really like the nose on this blended whisky. Let’s go in for a taste. Okay, okay. It’s light and easy, very slightly sweet and very slightly bitter. There is no smoke here, and the finish is a little short and empty – it’s overly diluted, if you ask me, and the filtration took the oils, so it’s flat. But I could see this on some rocks, sipped on a hot day with old cheddar. Since it’s so low in ABV already, I will not add water to this dram and move on to the Glasgow Blend from Compass Box. I have to admit, I do enjoy a lot of their releases and find them to be a quality whisky maker, way above the big and known brands. And so I’m slightly biased here, but… I have never had this Glasgow Blend before, and so I’m curious to see how it holds out.

Now this guy is bottled at 43%, and although the label doesn’t say it [wag of the finger], the website proclaims that this blended Scotch is non-chill filtered and of natural colour, with a high percentage of single malt in the mix. Now, what I failed to notice before pouring this dram into my glass, is that it contains some Islay single malts, and thus it will be peaty – an attribute I confirm immediately on the nose. It will be hard to compare a peated whisky to a non-peated one because I truly enjoy all that smokiness. But let’s see if I can stay focused on the quality of the blend itself. It’s slightly thicker on arrival, and although I pick out notes of oloroso-seasoned casks, it’s definitely dominated by the smoke. It’s very familiar, and after reading the recipe & fact sheet, I confirm it to be from Laphroaig. The grain is slightly more present here and is hiding in the corners with its bitterness and age. It’s dominated by the Cameronbridge distillery – again, a big standup ovation to Compass Box for full transparency of what’s inside each dram. This is a Non-Age Statement (NAS) bottle, and so the whisky is a lot younger than the stated 15-year-old of Lord Elcho. For the smoky whiskies, I don’t mind – I actually prefer the younger Islay dragons. But when it comes to malt (and definitely grain), I have to say I like to see them mellow out in the barrel. Let’s go back to the Lord Elcho once again. And yes, it is a finely integrated blended Scotch. I only wish it was unfiltered and a tad bit stronger. Now back to the Glasgow Blend. There’s that Laphroaig again, but quickly it’s pushed out by the grain. Everything gets bitter, dryer and dirtier in my mouth as the grain takes over and the malt is quickly gone.

Name / Style	Lord Elcho / Blended Scotch	Glasgow Blend / Blended Scotch
Bottler / Series	Wemyss Malts / premium blended whisky	Compass Box / Two Whiskies for Two Cities
Stated Age	15 years of age	NAS
Cask type	???	???
ABV / Cask Strength	40.0 / No	43.0 / No
Non-chill filtered/ Uncoloured	No / No	Yes / Yes 🌟
Price	£53	£40
Would I buy it? / Recommend it?	Maybe / Yes	Yes / Yes

So, there you have it, folks, another excellent tasting. This is a tough one, I won’t lie. I love the Glasgow Blend, and I could see myself enjoying it with dinner [I need a pickle or a sauce to cover all that grain], but I have to admit that, surprisingly, the Lord Elcho worked a little better. Perhaps a higher ratio or older single malts? Here, I sneak away and pour myself a finger of Berry Bros. & Rudd’s 21-year-old Perspective Series 1 blended scotch to see if age is a factor. Hold on. Hmm. Yes, the 21-year-old is even smoother and longer finish there… I see… One last sip of the Glasgow Blend. Yep, bitter grain. Okay then, well, which one would I reach for if it was on a shelf? I think the price here also makes a difference. I like the Lord Elcho, but at that price, I can get an integrity single malt at a higher ABV, while the Glasgow Blend delivers on the ROI here. With that, I’ll pause and proclaim a tie between these two today!