Compass Box Affinity
Compass Box Affinity is a 750mL limited-edition spirit drink bottled at 46% ABV (92 proof), blending Scotch whisky with Calvados — the apple brandy of Domaine Christian Drouin in Pays d'Auge, Normandy. Released in April 2019 in 6,028 bottles, it is bottled with natural colour and no chill filtration. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 46% (92 proof); natural colour, non-chill-filtered
- Size: 750mL
- Classification: Spirit drink — a blend of Scotch whisky and Calvados (not a Scotch whisky)
- Blend: 37.5% Drouin Pays d'Auge XO Calvados; 29.5% Highland malt blend (Clynelish, Dailuaine, Teaninich) in custom French oak; 20% Craigellachie in a first-fill sherry butt; 13% blended Scotch from a refill sherry butt (fact-sheet-reported)
- Release: Limited edition, April 2019 — 6,028 bottles
- Origin: Scotland and Normandy, France (blended by Compass Box, London)
Scotch Meets Calvados — a Blend That Breaks the Rules on Purpose
Compass Box, the London whiskymaker founded by John Glaser in 2000, built Affinity out of blending-room experiments mixing Calvados with Scotch — two northern, maritime spirits with orchard fruit at their heart — and billed it at launch as the world's first Scotch-and-Calvados blend. Because Scotch whisky law does not allow the marriage, Affinity is labelled a spirit drink, and the whisky components ride in French oak and sherry wood alongside the Drouin brandy. Explore the maker on the Compass Box vendor page, or browse our Scotch whisky collection.
Tasting Notes
Per the maker: apples and spice set against dried fruits and vanilla — rich, sweet, and complex, with a mouth-coating Calvados texture and ripe orchard-fruit fragrance partnering the spice and malty aromas of the Scotch, and a finish the Calvados lengthens.
How to Enjoy
The maker's serves: over ice, with amari and vermouth as a Boulevardier twist, or paired with tarte tatin. More Compass Box blends are in our whisky collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Compass Box Affinity a Scotch whisky?
No — it is officially a spirit drink: a blend of Scotch whisky (62.5% of the recipe) with French Calvados, which Scotch whisky regulations do not permit in a product labelled Scotch whisky.
What is Calvados?
An apple brandy from Normandy, France, distilled from fermented cider — here, Domaine Christian Drouin's Pays d'Auge XO. It is a spirit, not a liqueur.
How limited is Affinity?
It was released in April 2019 as a limited edition of 6,028 bottles at 46% ABV, natural colour, and no chill filtration.
Scotch and Normandy apple brandy in one rule-breaking blend — order Compass Box Affinity online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.