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. Closed grain distilleries like Port Dundas lend rarity and depth to a blend like this.

Grain is distilled continuously in column stills rather than batch pot stills, giving a light, clean spirit that matures quickly and sweetly. Matured in a first fill ex-Bourbon cask, the refill wood letting the spirit's sweetness show. Long, cool warehouse ageing lets cask and spirit knit slowly rather than forcing the flavour. Marrying several grain whiskies lets the maker build a rounder, more layered profile than one cask could give.

At an easy 43% it is light. Lignin breakdown lends vanilla and a coconut note from the lactones, with a toffee, dessert like sweetness, atop the creamy grain make. A gentle spice and polished oak frame the sweetness. The close is soft, oily and warm. A polished, sweet style of Scotch that wears its grain character with pride. The light spirit has been transformed by its long rest in oak.