Compass Box Orchard House (700 ml)

When John Glaser founded Compass Box in 2000, he applied a winemaker's logic to Scotch blending — sourcing specific cask parcels from named distilleries rather than buying bulk spirit, then assembling them with the precision of a grand cru assemblage. Orchard House is the direct expression of that philosophy. Linkwood (Speyside, ~39%) anchors the blend with its characteristic waxy, orchard-fruit character; Clynelish (~29%) from the coastal Highlands contributes its signature beeswax and saline tension; Benrinnes (~20%), a meaty, sulphury Speyside distilled through partial triple distillation, adds structural depth. The three-distillery core is matured across ex-bourbon American oak, ex-Oloroso sherry casks, and French oak — the French oak component a deliberate Compass Box signature, delivering dried-fruit spice and pastry notes that no standard Scotch regime produces. Bottled at 46% ABV, non-chill-filtered, with no added colouring, the whisky retains the natural texture and vibrancy that chill filtration strips away. What sets Orchard House apart within the blended malt category is the explicit, named-distillery transparency Compass Box fought the Scotch Whisky Association to publish — a recipe declaration most blenders still refuse to make. Non-vintage by design; drink now or hold 3–5 years.