The Whiskey Reviewer A World of Whiskey, Poured Every Weekday
Updated July 21, 2022
By Richard Thomas
Average Rating: B+
Compass Box Hedonism
(Credit: Compass Box)
In most cases, grain whiskey is a very necessary, but rarely spoken of ingredient for blended whiskey across the British Isles. Over in Scotland, the single malts get all the glory, and many whiskey lovers think of vatted malts (an all-malt whiskey blend from different distilleries) as the next step down. In Ireland, malt whiskey occupies the top slot, with pot still coming in second and grain a distant third.
Some years ago, I found myself in a Malaysian flophouse sharing a bottle of bourbon I’d been carrying with a Scotsman. We were talking whiskey, and when I asked him what he had against blended scotch, his answer was “It’s the grain whisky watering down my good stuff!”
Compass Box takes this conventional wisdom and turns it on its head with Hedonism, a premium vatted grain whiskey and a serious throwback in whiskey-making. The company has quite a commitment to the all-grain whiskey idea, with three vatted grains in their Limited Edition line. According to Compass Box, all-grain whiskey was actually quite popular in Scotland about a century ago, but the rise of blended scotch eclipsed them (and most of the blended scotch labels we know today date to the late 19th and early 20th Century). Hedonism represents a return to that largely forgotten tradition.
Made from a selection of 8 to 15 grain whiskeys, Hedonism’s constituents come from distilleries like Cambus and Cameron Bridge. Compass Box looks for older casks of grain whiskey, instead of the young grain whiskey that goes into the typical blended scotch, and most of the selections for Hedonism have been aged in new American oak. The whiskey is married and receives up to two years of secondary maturation. Given the constraints on making Hedonism, Compass Box usually only makes one batch per year.
The Scotch
Hedonism comes in Compass Box’s standard clear glass bottle, adorned with a deep purple label with some very Victorian-looking art. The whiskey is not chill filtered (just like everything from Compass Box), and bottled at 43% alcohol.
In the glass, Hedonism has a pale gold coloring that is light, but full. Many whiskeys with this kind of color begin to reach into translucence, but not this one. The aroma is light, but has a certain fruitcake quality, albeit one with a good helping of citrus, and with hints of vanilla that probably come from the new oak. On the palate, the fruitcake quality is thickly supported with oak, plus a dash of spice coming on at the end. The whiskey has some grainy notes, but these are far from the forefront of the flavor, and the texture is silky-smooth. The finish is warm with helpings of spice and oak, and lasts for a middling-length of time.
The bottom line on Hedonism is don’t let any predisposition to thinking of grain whiskey as the distaff stuff steer you away from it. As an aperitif whiskey it is ideal, and it will do very well as a sipping whiskey as well. Hedonism is a light, subtle, elegant whiskey, the sort of thing I imagine Emily Mortimer (suitably attired in a black evening dress, of course) might sip on at a party.
Addendum by Kenrick Thurston-Wilcox
Though the bottle states non-chill filtered, the whisky is surprisingly pale, and light lemon colored with no haziness. The nose hits with sweet butterscotch, coconut and vanilla, leading me to believe the casks used were bourbon casks and/or corn was used as the primary grain in the blend. There’s also a hint of mushrooms and solvent, just enough to be noticeable but not off-putting. Just enough to balance out the sweetness of the nose. All in all the nose isn’t horrible but it isn’t amazing either.
The palate is really where the bottle lives up to its name. Whereas the nose was a little lacking for my senses, the taste is pronounced. It’s warm, inviting, and fills your entire mouth, coating it with a creamy-like texture. Orange takes the lead ahead of the coconut and vanilla flavors, a sweet fruit start, with a hint of chocolate coming in behind and accenting everything that came before. The finish is enjoyable, leaving a little more to be desired, but has you wanting to come back for more, and experience all of what this bottle has to offer.
This being a blended grain scotch, a lot of people will pass this one by, but I think it’s a good introduction to this style of whisky. The appearance and nose start off light, leading one to assume it will not pack much punch. Then the palate invites your taste buds in, coating them in a thick warm blanket. The finish is not much to write about, but will leave you wanting to take just one more self-indulgent sip.
The Price
When I first wrote about this one, Hedonism was about $100 or €80. Nowadays, that is more like $115 to $130, and some retailers are asking north of $150 a bottle.
