WHISKY IS FOR THE REBELS,

NOT THE RULE-MAKERS

We’ve just released Scot-Free – the world’s first English vatted malt which is made using whiskies from six different distilleries. Quite the departure from our Scotch roots, but with good reason. This one isn’t just about celebrating the growing English whisky scene. It’s about something that’s been a cornerstone of Compass Box since we started back in 2000: transparency.

 TRANSPARENCY MATTERS 

Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have created their own robust single malt whisky Geographical Indications (GIs) that clearly define and authenticate their whisky production. The same is true for Australia and the USA. Each set of rules is slightly different, with those differences allowing distillers to reflect their place and culture.

England has proposed its own GI and the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has publicly opposed it. This is despite the fact that England is seeking a definition of ‘single malt’ that Wales, and the USA, already have.

A GI is a kind of transparency: it clearly states that this whisky was made in this locality, to these standards. Words on a label mean something. There is more than one way to make delicious whisky, and differences are what make the world more interesting.

TRANSPARENCY TASTES GOOD 

Take a bottle of our Orchard House. You’ll notice several technical details displayed on the label – like the fact it’s not chill-filtered and there’s no added colour – details we aren’t required to list but want to be upfront about.

Others think differently. They quietly add Caramel E150-A food colouring to their whiskies, both single malts and blends, without saying a word. It’s deceptive and wrong that producers aren’t obligated to give you this sort of information.

“Since 2000 the team at Compass Box have created a series of blended whiskies that push the boundaries of blended scotch. They started with the whisky itself, not only naming the component whiskies but telling consumers exactly what proportions they used.”

This quote from a Forbes article is one we’re really proud of, not least because it encapsulates what we’re doing and how we’re doing it. For anyone new around here, that article is also a good summary of our first 25 years of whiskymaking.

OUR STORY SO FAR

TRANSPARENCY MAKES A DIFFERENCE 

We take a lot of inspiration from worlds beyond whisky, and one company that’s especially impressive on transparency is Tony’s Chocolonely. Their UK office is down the road from ours in Richmond, London.

Tony’s is focused on ending exploitation in the cocoa industry, and challenging their competitors’ opaqueness by being open and honest about their own sourcing, their challenges, and their progress. Just have a look at their website.

As we mention them, and given that we recently looked at how you can pair whisky and food, here are two transparently delicious pairings for the weekend ahead…

1. Orchard House & Tony’s Hazelnut Crunch

Our bright and fresh character in Orchard House finds a playful partner in the textured nuttiness.

2. Nectarosity & Tony’s Almond Honey Nougat
Nectarosity’s oaky richness complements that chewy sweetness in the chocolate. 

A FINAL THOUGHT 

Transparency is about doing what’s right. Sometimes that’s got us into trouble, like the time the Scotch Whisky Association said we could only disclose the age of the youngest component in our whisky – and no others – even though it made up less than 1% of it. No matter. We might ruffle a few feathers now and then, but ultimately you deserve to know what you’re drinking as you journey with us into uncharted territories of taste.

This is interesting
And this is interesting
And that’s very interesting