Compass Box Hedonism The Muse

** Disclaimer: This review is what I would consider a “Quick Hit”- meaning it won’t have my usual in-depth notes that I usually like to take. The reason: this sample was poured at Whiskyfest DC on 4/17/18. All of these reviews will not be scored and I am actively looking to try them again at some point to do them better justice. I’m starting here for 2 reasons: this wasn’t listed on the initial tasting list and it wasn’t very tasty, IMO. I know grain whisky, in general, can be very harsh- especially if it’s young. I have had the normal Hedonism and found it to be incredibly smooth and surprisingly tasty, even though I don’t remember a lot of depth. The Muse version didn’t have much flavor, IMO except for peppery spice and a little vanilla. It was also ridiculously harsh. I’m not sure if the age of the grain whisky was younger, or if it is an entirely different recipe from the usual Hedonism. This was also the 5-6th sample of the evening so I didn’t consider my palate to be taxed. I have seen bottles of this going for $250 online and for that price it’s a hard pass for me. I’d be willing to give it another go, but this was the biggest disappointment of Whiskyfest for me.