Review #181 - Compass Box Orchard House
Another well-regarded blended malt from Compass Box - Orchard House is a reasonably priced, ex-bourbon-cask-forward blend without much in the way of peat. There's no mention of the utilized distilleries on the label, but some research online points the way of Balmenach, Benrinnes, Caol Ila, Clynelish, Glen Moray, Linkwood, and Tomatin.
In addition to those predominant ex-bourbon casks, we do also have some proportion of sherry and French oak in this blend, as well. Still, we'll be on the lookout for orchard fruits, as the name of the whisky suggests, as well as some baking spices.
No chill filtration or added caramel coloring, as is always the case with Compass Box, and we get this at a pleasant strength of 46% ABV - the new minimum standard for quality single malts.
Compass Box Orchard House
Scotland - Blend
Price Paid: USD 47 (2023)
Current Locally Available Price: USD 47 (2023)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 46% ABV
Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon, ex-Oloroso sherry, and French oak
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added, batch L 17 09 22
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 1 month; bottles at 100%, 70%, and 60% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Softly spirit-forward, and generally bright and fresh. It does have the lighter orchard fruits: lemon, apple, along with the occasional hint of dried mango. There are baking spices like brown sugar and honey, some vanilla and white pepper. With more time, soft oak and some fatty nuts arrive.
Palate: Medium thickness mouthfeel, and a bit stronger on the baking side of things now. Sweetness comes from cinnamon, honey, vanilla, and creme brulee or custard, while spice is added by dry oak, white pepper, and sharper cinnamon. There are still subtle fruits of green apples and lemon drop candies; some malty flavors show up, and there's a slight fizz with the spirity side of this.
Finish: Soft vanilla, simple syrup, and now the malty tones have turned quite sweet. There's still some mild dry oak, but sweeter fruits come back: pear, lemon, and unripe bananas. There's a bit of weight to the spirit which lingers in this finish; it's a medium length finish overall.
Final Note: A classic, tasty blended malt that has a lot of the core flavors we enjoy in an understated, ex-bourbon whisky. It's not the most complex, but it has great balance between spirit and cask; it's slightly sweet, but not overdone in that respect, either. The 46% bottling strength is enough for this as an easy sipper, but the spirit does also have a nice weight to it, with the occasional waxy note drifting through to accent it.
Value here is pretty good - this is a quality malt at a reasonable price. Considering the great presentation of the whisky, too, the value proposition only improves.
Our Average Rating: 6.7 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 7.39
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