What if we were to apply Compass Box whiskymaking principles to a line of Blended Scotches? That is exactly what we are doing with Great King Street. Our first release is called 'Artist's Blend'.

Five key things set apart our approach to making 'Artist's Blend' from any other Blended Scotch Whisky brand.

1. Great Grain. First, we start with the very highest quality single grain Scotch whiskies. Grain whiskies are the foundation of good Blended Scotch. We source ours from a renowned Lowland distillery and all of it is aged in 'first fill' American oak barrels, which makes the grain whisky much richer and sweeter on the palate than those aged in larger, refill casks.

2. More Malt. Secondly, we use a higher proportion of malt whisky than most other Blends. 'Artist's Blend' consists of almost 50% malt whisky, far more than the 30 or 40% most blends use. This provides more character and complexity.

3. Better Oak. At Compass Box we are known for our fanaticism about quality oak casks. Every cask of whisky used to make 'Artist's Blend' is of a much higher quality than is typical in Scotch whisky: first-fill American oak casks, first-fill European oak ex-Sherry butts and, something no other Blended Scotch uses, new oak. In this case, we use new, heavily-toasted French oak.

4. Bottled Naturally. Unlike any other Blended Scotch whisky we know of, 'Artist's Blend' is bottled at its natural colour (no E150 colouring agent added at all!) and without the chill filtration prior to bottling that most Scotch whiskies go through. This leaves the whisky full of its natural complexity and mouthfeel.

5. Traditional Strength. We bottle 'Artist's Blend' at 43% alcohol by volume, a strength traditionally used in Scotland many years ago. We bottle at this strength so 'Artist's Blend' has more presence and character when mixed with soda as a Highball, or in cocktails.