Gary

Compass Box Affinity
A Blend of Scotch Whisky & Calvados

46% ABV
$125 – $150
Website

What the Blender Says

Classic flavours emerge from an unexpected kinship.
Sometimes in life there are two things with a shared nature, a kinship. They are somehow meant to be together, despite apparent differences. Such is the case, we believe, with Scotch whisky and Calvados.

Scotland and Normandy are both northern European; they share a cool, maritime climate. While one grows principally cereals, and the other is known for its apples, these agricultural products have a long history of usage together, especially in baking. We saw an opportunity for a new collaboration.

We have been blending Calvados with Scotch whisky at home and in our blending room for years. The flavour combination is classic: apples and spice riffing off dried fruits and vanilla. When we were able to source Calvados of the right quality, and in enough quantities, we decided to share our private experiments with the world.

Orchard fruit notes are common to both Calvados and Scotch malt whisky. Many Calvados producers double-distil in pot stills, just like their Scottish cousins. Maturation in French oak is another aspect of their shared DNA.

These two spirits share richness, sweetness and complexity; the Calvados lends an intensity and length to the finish which enhances the character of the Scotch whiskies.

Serve over ice, mix with amari and vermouth into a unique twist on a boulevardier, or pair with a deliciously sweet tarte tatin. We think you’ll agree that these two spirits really do have an affinity for one another.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Spiced baked apples with honey, heather just off the sea coast, subtle note of banana, a winey note that hints at apple cider vinegar.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel, apple wine with pears, vanilla, baking spices, hints of almonds and walnuts with a bit of pepper spice.
Finish:  Long, rich with a nutty pepper spice.
Comments:  The second limited edition ‘non-whisky’ from Compass Box recently – although if given it in a blind tasting, I might have guessed it as whisk(e)y finished in apple wine casks. It isn’t ‘un-whisk(e)y-like’ to me anyways, despite 37.5% of the blend being Calvados, which is an apple and/or pear brandy from Normandy in France. Whisky or not, it is definitely delicious, and dangerously drinkable.

Rating: Must Try

Compass Box Stranger & Stranger

46% ABV
$180 – $200
Website

What the Blender Says

WE HAVE COMBINED SCOTCH MALT WHISKY WITH WHEAT & BARLEY SPIRIT

Some may call it sacrilege, but we thought the addition of one year old ‘sacrificial spirit’ would be the perfect component to use in our limited edition blend to celebrate ten years of collaboration with our good friends at the package design company Stranger & Stranger.

In the 30 plus design projects we’ve worked on together, we typically provide a core idea and direction, but for this special project, we let Stranger & Stranger design what they liked. All I told them was we were working on a recipe incorporating some amazing one year old grain spirit we had used to season some experimental American oak barrels.

We had been calling this one year old ‘sacrificial spirit’ because we didn’t know what it would be like after a year in these crazy new barrels. Turned out, it was amazing, filled with intense wood spice and exotic shades of vanilla character.

Typical of the way we ordinarily work with Stranger & Stranger, a simple idea captured their imagination and inspired their work. Here, it was ‘sacrificial spirit’ which they used as a springboard for the intricate and fascinating design of this limited edition.

You’ll find aromas and flavours in this Stranger spirit that remind you of custard and dark sugars, fresh apple and an appealing herbal character. It has a sweetness on the palate that will call you back to the glass, owing to just one percent of the recipe using our delicious sacrificial spirit.

We hope you’ll share and enjoy with friends and family this celebration of the ten year collaboration between Compass Box and Stranger & Stranger.

AVAILABILITY
Release of 4,802 bottles worldwide. Bottled September 2018.

BOTTLING DETAILS
Bottled at 46%. Not chill-filtered. Natural colour.

RECOMMENDATIONS
This spirit would be sublime served as a post prandial, with ice, or mixed into a classic cocktail such as an old fashioned.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Lovely floral and malty sweetness, vanilla buttercream frosting, honeysuckle, peach pie, pears, a spring garden with a hint of sea air.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel with fruity sweetness, peaches and pears dusted with nutmeg, honey; sharpens mid-palate with some white pepper notes.
Finish:  Long with spice notes, honey, and pepper.
Comments:  Compass Box does it again. This is a lovely, sweet, nuanced dram. Technically, this isn’t a ‘whisky’ because of the 1% ‘sacrificial spirit’ (which is grain spirit from Girvan that hadn’t been aged three years; the minimum age requirement to be labeled Scotch whisky). But with 99% of the blend containing single malt whisky ranging in age from 17 to 22 years old, that 1% doesn’t make the end result taste ‘un-whisky like’. Whatever you call it, I’d call it delicious. If this was closer to $140, I’d call it a ‘Must Buy’ – but still highly recommend seeking out an opportunity to try it!

Rating: Must Try