Compass Box Releases This is a 10 Year Old Whisky
Compass Box has announced the U.S. release of This is a 10-Year-Old Whisky, a limited blend of three single malts that are each exactly 10 years old. The label is as plain as the name suggests, and that is the point. The bottling marks ten years since the company began publicly pushing for more transparency in how blended Scotch recipes are shared.
The Release
The blend combines Clynelish, peated Ardnamurchan and unpeated Ardnamurchan. Per the recipe, Clynelish makes up 66.5%, peated Ardnamurchan 20.2% and unpeated Ardnamurchan 13.3%. Every component was aged for 10 years in first-fill bourbon barrels. It was blended by Compass Box whiskymakers Samuel Travers and Michael Stephenson.
The name matters because of how Scotch labeling works. By law, the age statement on a blended Scotch can only reflect the youngest whisky in the blend. Here, nothing is hiding behind that rule. All three malts are the same age, so the number on the front applies to everything in the bottle.
The whisky is bottled at 50.5% ABV (101 proof), with natural color and no chill filtration. Each bottle is individually numbered. Only 3,610 bottles were made worldwide, and just 600 of them are allocated to the U.S.
According to tasting notes published with the release, the nose offers Pink Lady apple, rhubarb crumble, custard and pineapple upside-down cake. The palate is described as lemon-iced butter cookies, creamy white chocolate, vanilla panna cotta, soft apricots and nutmeg on sweet oats.
Categorization varies by outlet. The press release calls it a "Scotch super blend," while a UK version of the announcement describes it as a limited-edition blended malt Scotch whisky. Since all three components are single malts, the blended malt description fits the liquid.
CEO Nishat Gupte framed the release as being about the company itself, not a swipe at the industry. In his words, it is about "full transparency, no compromises."
The Story of Compass Box
Compass Box was founded in 2000 by American entrepreneur John Glaser, a former marketing director at Johnnie Walker. The company is a producer, bottler and marketer of blended Scotch whiskies. Rather than distilling its own spirit, its whiskymakers select distillates from existing Scotch distilleries, blend them, and then mature the blend further.
The core Signature Range includes the blended malts Orchard House, Peat Monster, The Spaniard and Spice Tree, the blended Scotches Artist Blend and Glasgow Blend, and the blended grain whisky Hedonism. Compass Box has also issued limited editions over the years, including Art & Decadence, Optimism, The General, The Lost Blend, Morpheus, the Canto Cask series and the three-bottle Myths and Legends set.
Why It Stands Out
Most age-stated blends do not tell you how old each component is, only the youngest. This release shows the full recipe and puts a uniform 10-year age behind every drop. The Clynelish-heavy build with a peated and unpeated Ardnamurchan pairing also makes for an unusual combination at this price.
The Details
Style: Limited-edition blended whisky of three Scotch single malts (described as a "Scotch super blend" in the press release)
Age: 10 years, all components
ABV/Proof: 50.5% ABV (101 proof)
Cask/Finish: First-fill bourbon barrels; natural color, non-chill filtered
Release Size: 3,610 individually numbered bottles worldwide, 600 for the U.S.
Price (SRP): $84.99 for 700ml in the U.S.; £64.00 RRP in the UK
Availability: U.S. bottles sold online through the Compass Box website; UK via The Whisky Exchange
Release Date: Announced September 23, 2026 (U.S.); UK availability from September 26
Tonights Poison Take
An all-10-year, first-fill bourbon cask blend at 101 proof for $84.99 is a strong proposition on paper, and the full disclosure of the recipe is a real plus for anyone who likes knowing what is in the glass. With only 600 bottles for the U.S. and direct online sales, expect it to move quickly. If you are a Compass Box fan, or curious about what Clynelish and Ardnamurchan taste like together, do not wait.
Please enjoy responsibly.
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