Compass Box Affinity is a mix of 62% Scotch whisky (Craigellachie + the typical Highlands base) and 38% Calvados from Domaine Christian Drouin in France. The idea is based on a couple of affinities between the two spirits, such as the climate, double distillation and the use of French oak casks for maturation.
John Glaser said he had been blending Calvados and whisky at home for years, and now he decided to bring it to the market. It can be served over ice, mixed with vermouth for a unique twist on a boulevardier, or paired with tarte tatin.
Compass Box Affinity (46%, OB 2019, whisky + Calvados, 6028 btl.)
Compass Box Affinity (46%, OB 2019, whisky + Calvados, 6028 btl.)Nose: a lot of sweet red apples up front, as well as apple tarts and Appletiser. Hints of vanilla ice cream, bananas flambéed, orange juice and oak spice like clove and pepper. Just a whiff of potpourri and bubblegum too. Nice.
Mouth: juicy apple sauce and tart apple pie or sour apple candy. It quickly becomes spicier, with a lot of peppery oak and nutmeg. Quite tangy with a slight burn. Some waxy notes and raisins.
Finish: medium, with mostly oak spices and this juicy apple sweetness.
A peculiar spirit, combining the sweet and sour apple notes softened by creamy malty touches. The Calvados is playing the first violin here, but the end result is quite interesting. Available from Master of Malt or The Whisky Exchange for instance.
Score: 80/100