John Glaser launched Compass Field Whisky Firm in 2000, bringing a breath of contemporary air to the considerably hidebound picture of scotch whisky that was prevalent on the time. With whisky followers satisfied that single malts had been far superior to blends, Glaser introduced new pondering, radically enlivened the looks of whisky labels, and ushered in a brand new tradition of transparency concerning the supply and age of whiskies in a mix. The legacy of limited-edition Compass Field expressions makes this a extremely collectible model, however these investing for revenue are suggested to choose and select correctly and examine rigorously.
Compass Field got here to wider prominence for a lot of whisky lovers following a David and Goliath-style conflict with the Scotch Whisky Affiliation in 2005 over the discharge of Spice Tree, after objections had been raised relating to the legality of utilizing French oak inside stave inserts to age a portion of whisky. With a view to adjust to the laws, Glaser’s workaround was to change to French oak cask heads for subsequent batches, leaving keen whisky followers curious to trace down the outlawed authentic bottles. He added a round brand to the label and field to differentiate the compliant bottles with the French oak cask heads because the “restricted version inaugural batch.” Unbeknownst to many collectors, the uncommon authentic labels and packing containers with out the emblem include the taboo model of Spice Tree, and these can usually be acquired for lower than bottles marked “inaugural batch”: Scotch Whisky Auctions offered a bottle hand-signed by Glaser for simply $150 in Might 2023.
Glaser, who has since stepped down from his management position, launched the Final Vatted Malt and Final Vatted Grain on November 22, 2011, marking the ultimate alternative to make use of the phrase “vatted” earlier than the time period was prohibited below the 2009 Scotch Whisky Laws. Honored by collectors ever since, the grain whisky particularly has excelled at public sale: Whisky Auctioneer offered a bottle of The Final Vatted Grain for $2,163 in April 2023.
Compass Field likes to have a good time an anniversary, and it’s well-known for creating reserve bottlings, expressions that pay homage to authentic releases, and restricted batches of cherished new expressions to mark when 10, 15, or 20 years have elapsed because the authentic bottling. Traditional labels similar to Hedonism, Peat Monster, Double Single, and Flaming Coronary heart have all launched anniversary editions: Hedonism Quindecimus, bottled to mark the 15th anniversary of the corporate and its first Hedonism bottling, fetched $677 at Whisky Auctioneer in October 2023.
Compass Field choices that had been costlier on launch, like Tobias & The Angel, Vellichor, Myths & Legends, and the Extinct Blends Quartet have but to make a lot of an impression on the secondary market. Its archive, nonetheless, is wealthy with real rarities; Compass Field creates bespoke bottlings for retailers, bars, eating places, and festivals, usually briefly runs of some hundred bottles. In North America, it has launched bottlings for Delilah’s, Ok&L Wine Retailers, Kensington Wine Market, and Bern’s Steakhouse, amongst others. Compass Field Magic Cask, a 2006 bottling for the Liquor Management Board of Ontario, offered for $2,377 at Whisky Auctioneer in January 2021, whereas a bottle of Bern’s 41 12 months previous blended grain offered for $1,834 in the identical sale. In the meantime, Scotch Whisky Auctions offered a bottle of Gold Normal, which marked the seventieth anniversary of Binny’s in Chicago, for simply $254 in January 2023.
A couple of Compass Field restricted editions all the time appear to draw excessive bids. The Basic solid a robust status on launch in 2013 and costs peaked with a bid of $2,775 at Unicorn Auctions in August 2022. Woman Luck, a 2009 launch of 754 bottles, has a deep, smoky complexity, and Scotch Whisky Auctions offered one for $2,577 in February 2022. Rarer nonetheless is Numinous Cask, a trio of 10 12 months previous single malts that had been blended and completed for five years in hybrid casks of American white oak and toasted sessile oak from France’s Vosges Forest. One of many 168 bottles achieved a hammer value of $1,973 at Scotch Whisky Auctions in October 2019.
You possibly can comply with Compass Field on its journey because it writes every new chapter, making it a super model for collectors. Hopefully, most public sale patrons are pushed by curiosity, not monetary achieve, and above all, wish to share and revel in their public sale winnings.
