Tucked away in London’s Richmond district, Compass Box operates not as a distillery, but as a whisky maker in the truest creative sense. Founded in 2000 by John Glaser, a former marketing director at Johnnie Walker, the company set out to elevate the art of blending. Drawing on single malts and grains from across Scotland, Compass Box works in a modest blending room far from Speyside or Islay, yet its output has become a beacon for drinkers seeking transparency, precision, and imagination.

From the beginning, the ethos has been one of openness. Recipes are published in detail, with distillery names, cask types, and proportions made available for those who wish to explore further. This stance has, at times, clashed with regulatory bodies, but it helped pave the way for broader acceptance of disclosure within the industry. Today, their core range includes Orchard House, Peat Monster, Nectarosity, and Crimson Cask, each built to highlight particular facets of Scotch whisky character. The approach is not to blend for anonymity, but to blend for identity.

Alongside these mainstays, Compass Box is perhaps best known for its limited editions, many of which have earned cult status. Hedonism was their first release, a grain whisky unlike any seen before, defined by soft vanilla, coconut, and spiced cream. Flaming Heart offers a darker mood, combining smoky malt with rich oak and warming spice. These releases, and others like them, are united not by a fixed formula but by a deep respect for flavour, structure, and storytelling. Compass Box may not own stills, but its vision has helped reshape how whisky can be imagined and enjoyed.