Whisky Advocate Exclusive: Compass Box Names Angela D'Orazio as Director of Whisky Making

Independent scotch blending house Compass Box has been going through many big changes since its acquisition by London-based investment group Caelum Capital in 2022. In February 2024, Compass Box announced that Hedonism—the grain whisky blend that launched the brand in 2000 and had been a staple of the core range for over 23 years—would become an annual expression going forward. Fans would be rocked again just days later when John Glaser, the brand’s maverick founder, parted ways with Compass Box after over two decades at the helm. He was succeeded as whisky making director by James Saxon, who had been with the brand for over five years.

With its flagship whisky turned into a high-end limited release, the face of the company gone, and a new blender at the helm, Compass Box was set to usher in a new age at the start of last year. The first major shift was a shake-up of the core range, with Spice Tree and Story of the Spaniard getting replaced by two new blends: Nectarosity and Crimson Casks. Now the brand has announced its latest major change, with Saxon stepping down and veteran blender Angela D’Orazio taking over as Compass Box’s new director of whisky making.

Experienced Hand

D’Orazio brings 30 years of experience to her new role at Compass Box. She got her start back in 1992 as a brand ambassador for Glenmorangie in Scandinavia, but eventually she made the switch into production, seeking tutelage at several producers including Glenmorangie, Morrison (maker of Old Perth blended malt, among other labels), Bowmore, William Grant, and Bruichladdich, where she was mentored by the legendary Jim McEwan.

But D’Orazio is best known for her work with the pioneering Swedish distillery Mackmyra. She joined Mackmyra in 2004, having spent the two prior years on an external sensory team tasked with helping the fledgling distillery develop its house style. She quickly moved up the ranks on the production team, eventually being promoted to master blender—a role she held for 17 years, before stepping away in 2021. During her time there, D’Orazio showed a strong penchant toward experimentation with production methods—something that makes her a good fit for the eclectic Compass Box. Some of her more interesting projects include using local Swedish oak, smoking whisky using peat mixed with juniper branches, creating a blend with help from an AI, maturing barrels underground in an abandoned iron mine, and tapping exotic finishing casks seasoned with cloudberry wine, birch tree sap, or Japanese green tea.

With D’Orazio at the helm, Compass Box’s whisky making suite is rounded out by two other blenders. Michael Stephenson has a background in the hospitality space, and previously worked as a Compass Box brand ambassador until being promoted to the production team last year. Samuel Travers joined Compass Box earlier this year, following stints at Port of Leith, Sweetdram, and Lind & Lime gin. Travers was responsible for creating Brûlée Royale, a limited-edition blended malt which is not yet available in the U.S.

James Saxon’s Departure

According to Compass Box, outgoing director of whisky making Saxon has stepped down from the company to pursue a career outside of whisky. Saxon joined the brand in 2019, and quickly distinguished himself for his blending abilities. Just a year into his tenure, he helped co-create Rogues’ Banquet—a limited edition blend comprising Miltonduff, North British, Clynelish, and Glen Elgin—alongside Glaser.

For many fans Glaser was Compass Box, and finding a replacement lead whisky maker that could carry his torch seemed like an impossible quest. But Saxon proved himself to be up to the task. Before Glaser’s departure, Saxon was placed in charge of his own projects, which included some seriously impressive whiskies like Flaming Heart 2022, No Name No. 3, Vellichor, and the endlessly fascinating Extinct Blends Quartet. His whiskies released after the promotion were also high-quality, including Travelling Circus, Secrets of Smoke, Flaming Heart 2025, and Crimson Casks, which made an appearance on our Top 20 Whiskies of 2024 list.

“It was my dream to work for this creative powerhouse since I first discovered Compass Box in 2011, and I am incredibly proud of the expressions we have created in that time,” said Saxon in a statement. “Angela is both a blender and a person I have looked up to for more than a decade, and I move on with unshakeable faith in the team who will drive Compass Box into its next chapter.”