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 held the spirit, soft wood that lets the grain lead. A clean spirit and a long sleep let the oak express itself fully. Marrying several grain whiskies lets the maker build a rounder, more layered profile than one cask could give.

At 43% it is soft and rounded. Broken down lignin lends vanilla and oak lactones a gentle coconut, with a butterscotch and toffee sweetness, over a base of light citrus and tropical fruit. It is plush and silky, the sweetness carried on an oily body. The finish is long, sweet and softly oaky. A polished, sweet style of Scotch that wears its grain character with pride. It stands as a record of how well grain whisky can age.