Compass Box Vellichor Whiskey

Compass Box Vellichor Whiskey - Vellichor – a scent made from stories.

This wonderful new word (like ‘whiskymaker’, it isn’t yet in dictionaries) describes the sweet, dusty, and resinous aroma of second-hand bookshops. It also conveys the tinge of regret a keen reader feels when inside such hops – so many books, only one lifetime in which to read them.

Certain whiskies exude a bookish perfume, particularly those with a couple of decades of maturation behind them. With Villichor, we have brought together several parcels reminiscent of yellowing paper, scratched leather, and the myriad tiny scents found in spaces housing old volumes.

From a distinguished whisky company in the north of Scotland, we managed to source some prized parcels – ‘first editions’ in our eyes. These are stocks of Scotch whisky which were blended together in the distant past before returning to wood for many years. Such components don’t turn up often but are always inspiring when they do. More than a decade in refill Sherry butts has granted them antique qualities that are as evocative as they are delicious, and they make up half the recipe alongside separate parcels of whisky from the Highland Park, Macallan, and Caol Ila distilleries.

With Vellichor, we celebrate the multi-sensory experience of reading printed works. Digital versions are great, but we would always rather have our noses in a real book.