LeeEvolved
Compass Box Hedonism The Muse
Blended Grain — Scotland
Reviewed
April 18, 2018 (edited August 25, 2018)
** 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.
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@PBMichiganWolverine - hmm, that’s a good question, Pranay. I paid $269 for mine but I’ve seen it on MoM for $225. That’s a tough call- it was the best whisky at the festival and I’m glad I have a bottle. It’s a close call.
@LeeEvolved. Considering the price of the HP Dark, do you think it’s worth it?
@LeeEvolved - Sounds like you had some great pours beforehand!
@LeeEvolved - sorry to hear this about CB.
@Soba45 - well, overall I think I liked the HP 17 The Dark the most. It really delivered the goods. The Kavalan Barrique Cask was a close second. The Balvenie Peat Week was nice, but I was disappointed by the 21 Port Wood. I’m doing a sort of reverse, quick review of just about everything I tried, but I think I’m going to refrain from giving them an actual score until I can try a proper pour sometime in the future. The whisky we tried in the room the night before the festival was the highlight of the trip for me: Macallan 21 FO, Ardbeg 23, Black Arts 5.1, GlenDronach 21, Laphroaig 2014 Cairdeas, etc. Now those were some outstanding malts that I hope to give thorough reviews to in the coming days/weeks. Stay tuned.
Hope you are enjoying the festival! Any standouts so far?
$250 is a silly price for this...doesn’t seem worth it