The Circle, No.2 is here!

Transforming colour into flavour

The joy of whiskymaking often comes from unexpected combinations. For our latest Limited Edition, we’ve taken this idea further than ever before, with a creation that blends the senses.

The Circle, No. 2 is a whisky made through Synaesthesia: the phenomenon of experiencing multiple senses at once. It can involve hearing shapes, tasting days of the week, or smelling colours and is as varied in its forms and intensities as the people who experience it.

The beauty of collaboration

This Limited Edition is the second release to come from The Circle, our global bartender competition.

We were inspired by the creativity of 2019 winner Mannie Monaghan (owner of Below Stairs bar, Leeds, UK), whose idea was guided by his rare Synaesthetic experience of the world. As a Synaesthete himself, Mannie was able to bring the full force of his taste buds and personal colour palette to the Compass Box Blending Rooms, fostering a unique creative process for our whiskymaking team.

A flavourful spectrum of colour

To create The Circle, No. 2, and its flavour of Living Coral, our Whiskymaker James scoured the shelves of our whisky library, sourcing different parcels based on the colours Mannie sensed in each sip and translating this into a recipe that would express the positivity and vibrancy of this Pantone colour.

More than half of the recipe is tropical, pineapple-accented whisky from the Glen Elgin Distillery, while whiskies aged in Sherry casks lend warmth, energy, and a clinging texture. Dashes of a peated whisky, and a little malt whisky further matured in STR (shaved, toasted, recharred) wine casks, bring contrast and depth.

Watch James and Mannie deconstruct the components of this whisky even further, and dive into how each one informs the whisky’s palette.

An ideal serve for the summer, The Circle, No. 2 was created as an outdoor whisky to be enjoyed with friends, lounging on a lazy afternoon as the sun sets.

It is available now from our web shop and select specialist spirits retailers. Please get in touch if you would like help locating your nearest stockist.

Share & Enjoy!
The Compass Box Team