Have you ever created a whisky by blending significant malts with grain, and then mixed it with a type of French apple liqueur called Calvados? Well, Compass Box did. Spoiler alert: it wasn't successful. Affinity gets its name from a blend of Scotch whisky with Calvados, an apple liqueur from a town of the same name. The actual composition is 62% whisky, 38% Calvados. You cannot legally call this whisky, which is why it's labeled as a Spirit Drink. Bottled at 46% abv. On the nose, it's dreadful. Cider, Mr. Clean cleaning fluid. Yellow apples, paint thinner, vinegar. It smells like wet paint. On the palate, it's unpleasant. Like a red apple 'flambe'. Not good. The aftertaste is like bubblegum. Specifically, blue bubblegum ice cream. Overall, you should avoid this. Compass Box, I appreciate you, but please don't subject me to this again. I feel disappointed, sickened, and even saddened to have to rate this. My score for it is 41 out of 100.
Compass Box Affinity
Whiskey World Whisky Multiple Countries No age statement 46% ABV
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About this bottle
Compass Box Affinity is a blend of Scotch whisky and calvados from Normandy, France, named for the complementary nature of the two spirits. The calvados, representing 37.5% of the blend, comes from Domaine Christian Drouin, while malt whisky is sourced from Craigellachie Distillery in Speyside, alongside a proprietary mix of Highland malts. A Scotch whisky of unknown origin is also included. Maturation involved French oak barriques, first-fill sherry butts, custom French oak casks, and refill sherry butts. Bottled at 46% ABV without chill-filtration or added color, only 6028 bottles were produced, becoming available in April 2019.
Reviews
Showing the most detailed of 6 parsed reviews.
This is the second of two Compass Box bottles I liked at a restaurant in Providence. See my review of The Circle for details about the other. I don't have much experience with brandy in general, and French brandy specifically. But the concept of combining calvados and scotch seemed intriguing. And intriguing it is. The aroma is pastries and honey, and the taste is more pastries, baking spices, and raisin. It's mellow and well-rounded. It's also sweet, but not cloying or excessively sweet in any way. The cask influences appear to originate mainly from the calvados and sherry in the barrels, with minimal impact from the oak itself. Overall, I wouldn't say I was blown away, as I can be with Compass Box. But it's a very distinctive and respectable drink.
Smells sweet, like apple cinnamon pastry and flowers. Tastes like apple pie with a slight burn, then chocolate ganache. The finish is a coating caramel apple.
Tastes like baked apples with a touch of cinnamon spice. Among the finest creations from Compass Box in my view.
Grab it if you can find it. Tastes like apple pie in a bottle.
Warming Like apple pie Spicy
Tastes like this
Same style and price bracket, best rated first.
