Whisky Voices: Angela D’Orazio
This interview is part of my ongoing Whisky Voices Series, where I sit down with leading voices in the whisky world, from distillers and writers to ambassadors and innovators, to capture their unfiltered thoughts on heroes, villains, surprises, trends, and wishes.
This edition features Angela D'Orazio, a Swedish-Italian whisky blender whose work helped shape modern Nordic whisky. During nearly two decades as Master Blender at Mackmyra Svensk Whisky, she created more than 80 releases, including Sweden’s first smoky whisky and one of the industry’s earliest AI-assisted whisky blends.
Her influence on contemporary whisky innovation was recognised with induction into the Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame in 2019. In 2025 she joined Compass Box as Creative Director of Whiskymaking, where she now leads the company’s flavour-driven blending programme.
Whisky Hero
Angela’s answer expands the concept of hero beyond any single individual.
“For me, whisky heroes are everyone striving to make something fantastic in this industry.”
She emphasises that heroism in whisky is not limited to distillers or blenders. Anyone who contributes to the culture of whisky with curiosity, knowledge, or creativity belongs in that category.
“People who create great whisky, people who support others, people who share knowledge, that is what makes the whisky world exciting.”
Whisky Villain
The villain, in Angela’s view, is simply the opposite mindset.
“Anyone who is in the whisky industry only to make money, without caring about making whisky better, that is the villain.”
She deliberately avoids naming individuals or companies. The issue, she explains, is attitude rather than identity.
“If you focus only on making quick money with cheap whisky, without the ambition to create something fantastic, then you are not helping the industry move forward.”
Whisky Surprise
Angela points to her current workplace, Compass Box, as a constant source of surprises.
One example is Compass Box Hedonism, which deepened her appreciation for grain whisky.
“Working on that whisky allowed me to understand much more deeply how fantastic grain whisky can be.”
Another moment came with Compass Box Brûlée Royale, one of the first whiskies she helped shape after joining the company.
“The goal was to create something like caramelised sugar on crème brûlée, in a bottle. Tasting notes can sometimes sound poetic, but when we tasted the finished whisky it genuinely felt like a dessert. That was an amazing surprise.”
Whisky Trend
Angela sees a strong trend emerging in the world of blended whisky.
“Blended whisky is coming back, but in a new way.”
Instead of focusing purely on tradition, she sees modern blenders embracing flavour-driven creativity.
“The new school of blended whisky is about creating something flavoursome and exciting, something that makes you want another sip.”
Whisky Wish
“I love how whisky is evolving globally, and I hope that continues. You can make fantastic rye whisky in Finland. You can make great single malt in America. Categories are evolving and crossing boundaries, and that’s something I hope continues.”
Sláinte!
- Thomas
