Compass Box Hedonism

A shy one, especially on nose. I really had to focus to find more details. Nose: light, cereal/biscuity. Background vanilla sweetness. Faint acetone. Palate: more character, starts sweet, then gets bit pungent at mid palate Finish: medium length, pungent notes fade away quickly, some sweetness and metallic notes remain longer. Some dryness. Water opened up a bit, clear vanilla on nose. Maybe some floral notes. Palate is bit creamy, with baking spices that remain much longer than w/o water. Best grain whisky I tried so far.

Vanilla, grainy, little bitter

Nose - creamy vanilla, oat, butter cookie, lime zest, floral notes, toffee, cereal grain, apple, pear, nutmeg, dusty corn, coconut, cinnamon, sweet oak, subtle banana, white pepper, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - toffee, creamy vanilla, cinnamon, nutmegs, floral notes, cereal grain, oat, honey, lemon and lime zest, brown sugar, toasted coconut, apple, banana, butter cookie, black pepper, ginger, mint, chili pepper, sweet corn, fresh oak, mild to moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium short with toffee, cereal grain, citrus zest, and chili pepper flavors. The nose is very delicate. A little fruity, a little spicy, a little vanilla-y, a little grainy. The palate is similar with the addition of more oak and prickly pepper notes. The aromas and flavors can be found, but they’re rather elusive. It took much longer than usual for me to pull out the notes. I don’t think the name Hedonism matches the experience. Something like Subtlety or maybe even Elegance seems more fitting. I think it’s better than the entry level Compass Box expressions, but it’s still rather grainy and a bit sour, with an unfortunately short finish. I’m split on this one. I think it rates right between a 3.5 and a 4.0 for me. Since this is $100 a bottle at the local stores, I’m going with the lower rating. However, I can see why many reviewers score this very highly. There are sophistication and beauty in the nuance. In the future, I’d like to try some of the other variations of Hedonism that contain older stock. Many thanks to @jonwilkinson7309 for providing the sample. This is one I’ve wanted to taste for a long time, but never had the opportunity until now.

Great style. An everyday drinking dram. Smooth, fresh and complex

Nicely balanced but not my favorite flavor profile

This is like a blend of Bourbon and Irish. I didn't like it on the neck pour, but it is getting better and better. I can't wait to see how this changes. Nose: Vanilla, Caramel, Baking Spice, Oak Palate: Vanilla, Bread, Caramel, Oak, Pepper, Coconut, Graham Crackers, Shortbread Cookie Finish: Medium, Slightly Bitter Mouthfeel: Average, nothing special.