Compass Box Hedonism

Compass Box Hedonism is a blended grain Scotch from Compass Box, marrying grain whiskies from more than one distillery. Blended grain is a rare category, built to show the soft, sweet, creamy side of grain rather than the punch of malt. Light Lowland grain such as Port Dundas underpinned the great blending houses.

Grain is distilled continuously in column stills rather than batch pot stills, giving a light, clean spirit that matures quickly and sweetly. Refill American oak shaped it, soft wood that lets the grain lead. Distilled to a high strength, grain carries less congener weight than malt and matures in an oak led way. Marrying several grain whiskies lets the maker build a rounder, more layered profile than one cask could give.

Reduced to 43%, it is mellow. Butterscotch and toffee from the toasted oak, lifted by a sweet vanilla from the wood and the lactones bring coconut and cream, over a clean, fruity grain base. Water is rarely needed, the spirit already soft and open. It closes long, sweet and gently woody. A polished, sweet style of Scotch that wears its grain character with pride.