Compass Box Orangerie

Let’s get it out of the way immediately: this is NOT whisky. It’s another creation from Compass Box, with sweet Highland single malt and grain whisky from Fife as the basis, with added cloves from Sri Lanka, Navalino orange peels and Indonesian cassia bark (cinnamon). So it’s a whisky liqueur… sort of. Whatever. Let’s taste.

The first thing you notice when smelling Orangerie is – oh, surprise! – oranges. A lot of them. Reminds me of Cointreau or Drambuie, but less concentrated (meaning no added suger in this case). This is a whole lot more sublte. Fresh and light. Jaffa cakes. Even with the chocolate (but that’s probably the cassia talking). Not what you would expect from a whisky (since it’s not, silly me!), but unusually good.

On the palate, it’s rather light and watery. Pity. Again the sweet orange liqueur, allowing the cloves and cinnamon only the final word. Quite exotic, actually.

The finish is dry and short, but honey-sweet. Bitter at the death as if you bite an orange peel.

This is unusual but lovely as an after dinner drink, with pralines or chocolat mousse. It can easily replace many a ‘one-for-the-road’. If you have friends that enjoy fruity liqueur, but are ignorant of whisky, pour them a dram of this Orangerie. You’ll surprise them. Cost approx 35 EUR.

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