A crisp and summery combination of quality Scotch and Calvados to blow your mind.

Compass Box isn’t a distillery or a distributor. Compass Box is a story that began in the year 2000 when John Glaser — a marketing director for Johnnie Walker decided to break out on his own. He was an American working for one of the most iconic brands in the world of Scotch Whisky and — like a typical American — thinks he can do it better on his own. It takes a lot of whisky stones to step out of a dream job with Whisky perks and start a business like this. John buys bulk output from some of the best distilleries in Scotland and then creates custom blends which he finishes and ages to create unique Whisky expressions.

Well, this is “a first” for us, and it will likely be a first for you too. Compass Box Affinity is a blending of three premium Scottish Whiskies and… wait for it… Domaine Christian Drouin Pays d’Auge XO Calvados from French Normandy. We’ll give you a minute to process that little factoid.

And though it may sound a bit crazy, the natural crisp-fruit of Scotch is a flavor profile fit for the Brandied-apple notes of Calvados. The Calvados accounts for 37.5% of the Spirit. The rest is a combination of Single Malts, Blended Malts, and Blended Scotches from the Clynelish, Dailuaine, and Teaninich Distilleries — aged in a variety of casks. The combination is married in oak, non-chill-filtered, and bottled at a perfect 46% ABV.

Smartass corner: 
In case you’ve forgotten, Calvados is an Eau de Vie made from apples in France. It gets its name from the Calvados region of Normandy that’s famous for producing this Spirit. Domaine Christian Drouin Pays d’Auge XO is a well-aged exemplar.