Some people have that fire in them that you can feel from the first moment you meet them. Angela D’Orazio, the newly appointed Creative Director in Compass Box, is that kind of a person. Creativity oozes out of her, the need to break molds and re-examine how we can make things better is the essence of her. That makes her recent move into Compass Box – one of the few top successful blended Scotch companies around – a very natural one. Compass Box the brand – as well as Angela – are experimental at nature, loving to question and push boundaries.
Angela started her formal whiskey career as Sweden’s Brand Ambassador to Glenmorangie. She quickly moved up and found herself helping shape Swedish whisky brand Mackmyra, a new world whisky that gained reputation for its discovery and innovation with different casks and finishes. One famous finish is in Casks that went through “Tea seasoning” to create some “tea liquor finish”. Angela’s wild palette, mind and heart have led her through many roles in the distillery including Master Blender and Tasting Supervisor, equipping her with 360 view and understanding of the whiskey making process.
Compass Box went through some changes in 2024 when Founder John Glaser stepped down from his leadership role. Compass Box is famous for bringing back the spotlight on scotch blends in times where single malts rule, bringing in unique award-winning expressions such as Flaming Heart, Hedonism, Spice Tree, Peat Monster and many more.
The two rule-bending and curious players, D’Orazio and Compass Box, are then a perfect match for experimental ground – I can’t wait to see what this marriage brings!
I have interviewed Angela in honor of Women in Whiskey History Month and learned some more about her journey.
Angela speaks with much fondness and heart about her time in Macmyra, and you can right away sense her curiosity about trying new things : “The Mackmyra story… is somewhat of a love story until nearly the end… I loved working for Mackmyra, and I worked, with the founders, especially with Magnus, who still is my partner in crime in many ways. Magnus was the CEO of Mackmyra. And, it was so much fun, and it was a lot of freedom to create, I would say. Freedom to create, what was coming for Mackmyra, which was the new world whisky taking place in the world, and, giving out expressions that were, untraditional. ”
Angela speaks much of the organic, long process she went through to get to where she is today: “The alchemist in me goes along. So that’s the spirit, I would say. the knowledge of blending, that came. When I got to work with Mackmyra people in the beginning, It was… The first year it was about tastings, but then I was the only person in the company who knew, a lot about sensory and how sensory worked.”
“So then they asked me if I wanted to start, developing their products when they were so young. So I did that. And then, the first years my title was head of development, whisky development. And then after 10 years or something, I got promoted to become a master blender because you’re not just a master blender from day one. ” Angela’s confidence and enthusiasm shines along.”
Just like superb whisky, one doesn’t become like that in a day “it all comes down to how much you believe in what you do, and if you also get support, in what you do. And I think, the Mackmyra, the original Mackmyra of those times, had that kind of “soil”. So I had support in developing my weirdness in terms of the projects. And, I think I’ve always had a good sense of what I like. I’m necessarily not always, very clear on where I want to go… But I always know what I like. So, with a method of exclusion, it’s like, “No, not that. No, not that. No, not that.” And “I like this!” I’ve always, had a good sense of doing the right thing. And I think that helps when you’re in unfamiliar territory.”
I invite you to listen to the full interview to discover the process with her.
