Compass Box Orangerie

OK John Glaser. I know you do some amazing things at Compass Box but seriously WTF is this crap?

First he's taken malt whisky from Glen Moray and blended it with equal parts grain whisky from Cameronbridge and vatted them in a first-fill American Oak hogshead.

He's then infused the spirit with hand-zested Navalino orange peel, Indonesian Cassia Bark and Sri Lankan cloves. The result is the most imbalanced, weirdly tasting whisky I've ever had. And actually it doesn't qualify as whisky any more thanks to the stuff he's dropped in it. I believe it's actually liqueur now.

I'm sure he had his reasons for doing what he did and I'm sure there are people who really really like this monstrosity. But if I know Glaser's taste then I'm pretty sure he didn't like this as well. Don't believe me? Ask him yourself.

My sample is from a brand new bottle and served at 40% ABV

Orange. Orange. A bit of orange. Some orange. A touch of orange. Lots of orange. With a side of orange. And, oh yeah, orange. Did I mention orange? No? A dash of orange. 15/25

That same orange that I got on the nose. Some orange. A touch of orange. A wisp of orange. Lots of orange. Chew on it and you get orange. Becomes more orangey mid-palate. 15/25

That orange again. With a touch of orange. 12/25

Orange.

PS For a look at how to make orange zest work with your whisky check out the Amrut Narangi

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